Naruto: The New Story
by Jalen Kun
Summary: Jalen, a twelve year old, somehow gets transported to the world of Naruto. And better yet, he also gets on good terms with Naruto himself. What will happen when he becomes as close a brothers with Naruto and gets twisted into the story line? NOW BEING REMADE! THE STORY IS NOW CALLED GREY EYES! FIND IT ON MY STORIES!
1. Chapter 1

**Naruto: The New Story **

Chapter 1: Enter... Naruto Uzumaki!

"Waaaahhhhhh!"

I'm falling. I'm falling to my death. One moment I was in my comfy bed, and the next I was falling. Not like a leaf, but like a rock. Although, rocks don't really get hurt when they fall, they're sturdy.

...

Probably like a plane. Planes explode when they plummet to the ground at lightning fast speeds. OK, I'm exaggerating. It's not lightning fast, but it's fast enough to kill me instantly.

"AAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"

I wonder... Where am I? As I said before, it was time for bed. I live in the U.S, if you need to know. Ya know...

~Flashback~

It was 10:00pm. Which means it's also...

"Jalen! Time for bed!" My mom yelled from downstairs. I sighed, and turned off my tablet. I really hate going to bed, but it's not so bad when you really think about it. Actually, I really hate waking up for school.

I'm a 7th grader, 12 years old.

Just like Naruto.

I love Naruto, the show, that is! It's really entertaining, and it has one of the best Anime Plots! It was actually the first Anime I watched, since I was little kid. I still remember waiting on Thursday nights to watch the show. Too bad it got cancelled...

I turned off the TV and turned off the light. This was my everyday schedule, or... Role... Whatever it's called. I turn off my tablet, then TV, then light. It's simple, really.

Well, as I get in the bed... I don't just go to sleep. I usually grab my phone and read fanfiction. Since I do that, I usually go to sleep at 12:00... Giving me 7 hours of sleep.

That's good, right? I mean... What 12 year old doesn't do that at least once?

Before I actually get in the bed, however, I kiss my mom and say my prayers. After all that is settled, I get in my bed and grab my phone. I type in " .net" on the search bar at the top, and head straight for the Naruto section, since I was in a Naruto mood.

Now... Here's where it gets strange. I get a text from this person called... Naruto_Uzumaki. There was no number, just that name. Would you text back to a person like that? Anyway, the text said... "If you want to live your dreams, text back: 'Ya know'."

Now, I was puzzled. Mostly because Dattebayo is what Naruto says after some of his sentences, and that translates to, Ya know. I... Think.

But, because I'm in a good mood, and want to see if this is a prank or not, I type in 'Ya'.

...I... Can't explain this correctly, so bear with me... But... I could feel... Energy inside my body. Yeah, I know it's probably nothing... But I can also... Uh... See it. It's blue... Like chakra.

I can also feel the energy in other places, like... In my house, I think. To be honest, this just excites me, because I'm not thinking. So, I type in 'Know'.

Now! Now this is where it gets exhilarating! I can easily pinpoint where that energy is coming from; my kitchen. I can feel the energy going through me faster, all through my body..! I feel lighter! I feel tougher! I adjust my glasses, because my vision is getting blurry, but it doesn't take me long to figure I don't even need them. I feel amazing!

I black out.

And I wake up, not a second later (it seems), dropping from the sky!

~Flashback Over~

So now, I'm falling like a plane. And I seem to have an idea of where I am, although this could be a dream. I think I'm in the Naruto World. It makes since, right? The blue energy must be chakra, and I'm plummeting into the Naruto World right now... Hm...

As I near the ground, I panic. I don't think I want to die here... But maybe... Maybe... Maybe!

Thud!

"Ow! Ow! Ow! Ya know!" Huh!? I'm... Not dead? And I was laying on someone, who... Smelled like ramen... "Uh... Could you get off of me?"

I got off the person, and looked at them, quietly apologizing. It... Was Naruto Uzumaki! His blond hair and marks on his face proved that to me.

"Huh? Who are you? Why did you fall from the sky? That really hurt, Ya know..." He said, rubbing his head.

"U-uh?! I-I'm..." I don't know what to say. This could all be a dream, so... I'm kind of lost. "My name is..." Should I say my real name, or should I think up a fake name? I... Don't know! "Jalen. Uh... I... Don't know Why I fell from the sky, really..." That was partly true! "A-and I'm sorry for hurting you!" I bowed, apologizing to him, but he just looked confused.

"Oh... Well, see ya, Jalen! I need to be up early tomorrow, Ya know!" He grinned. "I'm becoming a ninja tomorrow!"

Wait..? He's just now becoming a ninja? This is... Weird, but...

"Oh? What's your name?" I asked. I needed to not act like I know him.

"Naruto Uzumaki! The greatest ninja in the Hidden Leaf Village!" He exclaimed as he jumped over me and started to run away. "See ya!"

Wait! Wait! WAIT! He can't leave me out here! I don't know what to do... I don't even know Why I'm here! I... Need to be with him! To be safe! This is also a once in a lifetime opportunity!

"W-wait! Naruto!" I yelled, running after him. Surprisingly, I could match his speed. I also could see his chakra if I observe him closely.

"Huh? What do you need?" He sounded irritated. Please don't hate me, Naruto! "I have to get up early, Ya know!"

"Can I stay with you!" I asked, looking down. "I... Have nowhere else to go..."

"What?" He looked shocked. "Where are your parents?"

"..." Naruto! Stop asking me stuff and just let me live with you! "I... Have none."

"Oh." He looked sad. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. Aren't you the same?" I said. I'M AN IDIOT! WHY DID I SAY THAT! NOW I'M GONNA LOOK LIKE A STALKER! GAHH!

"How did you know that?" He asked me.

"I could feel it." I lied. "You were always alone, weren't you? Always bullied, weren't you?"

"Ho-"

"Because I saw!" I yelled, turning red. "I saw how the adults treat you! I saw how the children treat you! I... Wanted to help you so bad... But I couldn't." What am I saying? Where is this going? "C-can I please just stay with you... For at least one night?"

One night? I want to stay with you forever!

"S-sure." Naruto was also red, looking down. I shouldn't have said all that... I'm so stupid. And Naruto was so caring to let a random boy stay with him in his small apartment.

He began to walk, motioning me to follow. I guess I should look at what in wearing. I looked down and studied myself.

I had on a black shirt, and blue jeans. I also had on a red jacket and blue sandals, just like Naruto.

"Hey, Jalen..." Naruto started. "You don't have to stay one night..." He turned redder. "You could stay for... A long time, Ya know..."

I gasped. I was planning on begging him to let me stay forever, but this is just as good. "Really?" He nodded, and I ran up and hugged him. "Thank you sooo much, Naruto!"

He laughed. "I'm such a good person, Ya know!"

After that, we made it to his house, and he closed the door behind me.

It was... Messy. The room, that is. Clothes, scrolls, empty ramen cups, and a lot more stuff littered on the floor. And there was only one bed, and a small kitchen. There was a bathroom too, by the way.

"Sorry for it being so messy! I just didn't expect company, Ya know!" He began cleaning the room, which made me sweatdrop. I sweatdropped because he could have just made multiple clones to help him.

The house also smelled like ramen... Is he a ramen addict, wait... Duh...

After he was done he went in his cupboard and took out a ramen cup. "Do you want one?" He asked. I nodded, so he took out another one.

After about 10 minutes, we were starting to eat. I noticed Naruto kept a grin on his face all the while he was making it.

"Hey, Naruto." I caught his attention and he looked up. "Um.. I just wanted to say thanks for letting me live here. Again."

"Heh, no problem." He said. "Now eat up!"

We began eating the noodles, and I must say, they... Are... AMAZING! Naruto must have thought so too, because he was eating pretty fast. I'm not gonna let him beat me!

After the food was devoured, Naruto threw the cups away and he sat on the bed, looking at me.

"You don't have any night clothes."

I sweatdropped. Did he just notice that? "Oh, really? Do you have some I can borrow?"

He grabbed a pair from the ground and tossed them at me. "See if they fit."

I took off my shirt and jacket and put on the shirt he gave me. I also took off my jeans and put on the pants he gave me. "They fit perfectly! Wow!"

Naruto grinned. Somehow, he already had his on. How did he do that so fast? He suddenly stopped grinning. "There's only one bed."

I swear, Naruto. You get things so late...

"Oh... I'll sleep on the floor." I said looking away.

"No! You shouldn't have too! I'll sleep on the floor, Ya know!" Naruto exclaimed.

"That's OK. I'm use to it." I lied. I have to keep the act up, though.

"OK, Why don't we both just sleep on the bed?" Naruto inquired. "It doesn't really matter to me."

OK, if this is a dream, wake me up, now. NOT! This dream is awesome!

"Sure. If it's fine with you." I agreed. He got in the bed first, then I did. It was kind of small, but if I just scoot over a bit more...

"Hey, Jalen." Naruto called. I turned around, and we were face to face, noses almost touching. What is going on..? "Um, since you're living here, and you have no parents, like me... Uh... Want to be brothers?"

Brothers? With Naruto? This is pure bliss. I couldn't think of anything better!

"S-sure..." I nodded, and closed my eyes. I guess I'll be leaving this dream, now. But... It was fun while it lasted...

...

"Hey, Jalen!"

"Urg..."

"Jalen!"

"Don't... Wanna."

"JALEN!"

I opened my eyes and looked around slowly. Was it time for school already? Oh yeah... I had that weird dream last night... I met Naruto and we slept and...

"Hey, Jalen, wake up already, Ya know..."

"Naruto!" I gasped as I jumped out the bed. Naruto's bed. What's going on here?!

"Don't look so surprised." Naruto said, pointing to his headband. Or... Ninja headband, or whatever you call it! "I told you I had to get up early because I'm becoming an official ninja today, Ya know! Hehehe!"

"Oh yeah..." I got out of the bed. This is to much... I don't understand what's going on. "Hey, can I go with you?" I asked him, rubbing my eyes.

"Huh? You can't go with me. You aren't in the Academy, are you?" He asked. Then Why did you wake me up. "And besides, you aren't dressed. You didn't take a shower and you didn't brush your teeth, Ya know."

"Oh really..." I swiftly took off my clothes and rushed in the bathroom. (I didn't take off my underwear before I got in the bathroom.) I grabbed a towel to use, turned on the shower, and swiftly took a quick shower. After that, I jumped out and grabbed the toothpaste. I couldn't really brush my teeth, since there was only Naruto's toothbrush, so I just squirted the toothpaste in my mouth. I mixed it in my mouth for a while, then spit it out in the sink. After that, I ran back out and grabbed the clothes I had on yesterday, since I don't think they were that dirty. "Done."

Naruto was eating his ramen happily. "Well, OK! You can come with me!" That was easy.

After he was done with his ramen, I followed him outside and he locked the door behind him.

Now... The Hidden Leaf Village is... Amazing! The air was so clear, the rivers were so clean... Everything was just perfect here. Well, not perfect. Take Naruto's and Sasuke's life.

"Fight me!" Some kid appeared from the fence, throwing down a towel that was painted the same way as the fence. Konohamaru? Is that you? He was using the towel to blend in with the fence... How long was he waiting for Naruto?

Anyway, he tripped on the towel and fell on his face. How clumsy is that?

"What are you doing, Konohamaru?" Naruto asked, not looking very surprised.

"I expect nothing less from the man I respect." Konohamaru mumbled as he got up.

There was a moment of silence, before Naruto replied, "I didn't do anything."

Konohamaru seemed to just notice me and asked, "Hey. Who is that guy beside you?"

"Jalen? Oh, he's my brother." Naruto explained, which caused me to turn red. How can anyone say something like that so casually?! And you should at least tell him I'm not your real brother! "He's living with me, Ya know."

I sweatdropped as I got my words together in my head. "Um, hi. My name is Jalen. You're Konohamaru, right? It's kind of a long name."

"Your... Brother?" He grinned. "Is he as strong as you, Naruto?! I'll test him myself!" He made a handsign.

"Sorry, we have to go to an explanatory meeting now." Naruto explained, scratching his head.

"Explanatory meeting?" Konohamaru repeated, probably confused. He'll find out when he's older.

"I'm a ninja starting today!" Naruto exclaimed, pointing to his headband.

Konohamaru gasped.

I chuckled. "Sorry kid, maybe another time, OK?" The sad thing is... This kid could probably beat my ass.

Anyway, after leaving Konohamaru, we finally made it to the Academy building, and I could tell Naruto was excited. His chakra was literally bouncing all around in his body.

I'm actually pretty surprised I could sense chakra. Am I going to be a ninja like Karin? Hm... I probably won't be a ninja at all. Although, I do want to be.

We walked in the building, then Naruto showed me to the part where the new Genin will be.

We walked in the classroom and Naruto sat down. By Sasuke. I just sat in between them. This classroom is so big... It's amazing Iruka-sensei could teach every student.

I looked at Naruto, and he was grinning. He must really be exited. Hm... I wonder what Iruka-sensei will say when he sees me. I wonder what everybody will say when they see me. I stick out like a sore thumb with my red hair. I don't even have a ninja headband!

"Huh? Why are you here?" Someone asked Naruto, he then looked at me. "And who are you? Today's explanatory meeting is only for those who graduated." This boy seems familiar... Especially the voice. Kind of..

"Hey, can you not see this forehead protector?" Naruto replied, pointing to it. He smiled. "Starting today, I'm also a ninja." The other boy looked uncertain, and I cleared my throat.

"Hello. My name is Jalen." I greeted. "I'm sorry, but I'm Naruto's brother..." I like saying that. "Naruto wanted me to come with him, so I did. Sorry if I'm bothering, but I promise to not say much and disrupt."

"What?! Nuh-uh!" Naruto yelled. Not in a mad way, though. "You practically begged me to come!"

"Oh... OK." The boy said. "I didn't know you had a brother."

Well, after a while of talking, the boy left to his own seat. I still feel like I knew that person. So, Naruto and I started a conversation. It started with how many noodles their were at home, to how I didn't have breakfast, to what we need to buy for me. Like a toothbrush, clothes, and other necessities.

Suddenly, two girls ran in the classroom. One with long pink hair and one with a blond ponytail.

"Goal!" They yelled, putting their hands out. They began to pant, and the blonde (who I am sure it's Ino) said, "I win again, Sakura."

"What are you taking about? My toe entered the classroom a centimeter before yours." Sakura retorted. How can you even tell, Sakura? That makes no sense, what-so-ever.

"Are you blind?" Ino yelled.

Ino... Ino... Ino. She's... So cute. Way cuter than Sakura! What does Naruto see in Sakura?

Speaking of Naruto...

He was staring at Sakura, blushing.

Sakura looked over at where me and Naruto were at and gasped. And while I'm looking at Sakura and Ino, I can also see some other girl staring at Naruto and me from the corner of my eye.

Naruto blushed harder, thinking Sakura was looking at him, but in actuality...

"Wait, Sakura!" Ino shouted as she saw Sakura running towards us. Or... Should I say... Sasuke.

"Good morning, Sakura!" Naruto stood up and waved.

"Get out of my way!" Sakura pushed Naruto on the ground and glared at me. I glared back. Who does she think she is to just push Naruto on the ground when he's greeting her?

"Got a problem?" I asked, hostility lacing around my voice.

She smiled sweetly, but I can tell it was fake. "I would like to sit there, please. Can you move?"

I'm sorry, but why should I move for you? Even though you're kind of cute, you aren't royalty or anything.

"Hey! Why should you sit next to Sasuke? I'm going to sit next to him!" Ino yelled as she ran up to us, lightly pushing Sakura.

I swiftly stood up and got out the seat. "Here you go, m'am."

"Oh, really! Thank you! What's your name?" She asked me. Oh cool, score!

"Jalen." I answered. "How about yours?" I had to act like I didn't know her, I can't be looking like a stalker.

"Ino." She giggled, but instantly tried to sit next to Sasuke. Damn.

"What?!" Sakura yelled. Stepping in front of Ino. "How come you let her sit there?!" She pushed me, knocking me on the floor. Actually, not the floor, but on somebody. Who smelt like... Ramen. And... Tasted... Like... Ramen.

Tasted... Because our mouths were touching... And my... Tongue... Was...

"Ahhh!" We screamed, moving away from each other as far as possible. He started spitting and gagging, and so did I.

"Naruto, what the heck?!" I yelled, wiping my mouth.

"You're the one who fell on me, Ya know!" Naruto shouted back, also wiping his mouth.

Shouldn't this have happened with him and Sasuke?! Not me! Gah, who can I blame for this?!

I looked over at Sakura, who was staring at me with a blank face. Ino was staring at Naruto.

"You bitch..." I muttered under my breath, so no one could hear. She's the one who knocked Naruto on the ground, and she's the one who knocked me on the ground. It's all her fault! That bitch! Bitch, bitch, bitch!

She probably ruined my chances with Ino, too! Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!

After about 10 minutes of Naruto and I being awkward around each other, the girls fighting over who would sit by Sasuke, and rumors being made... Iruka-sensei finally showed up. I can tell it was him because who else would show up?

"Starting today, you are all official ninjas, but..." Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke was sitting at the table in front of me. Or... Could you call it a table? What can you call it? Anyway, I was sitting beside Ino and that boy from earlier. Now that I think about it, Shikamaru was the one that sat by Ino... So that boy is Shikamaru! Wow! "You all are still new Genins. It's only going to get harder from here. You all will be in a group of three, where you will complete missions under a Jounin teacher."

Ino suddenly gasped. Did she not know this? Well, I'm sure she's just gonna want to be with Sasuke. Too bad, Ino-chan.

"I wonder who's gonna be in Sasuke's team?" Ino said to herself, but mostly to Sakura.

"Don't know." Sakura replied, glaring at Ino.

I heard Sasuke suck his teeth. I wonder what's his problem. I should be the only one mad here, buddy! Well, me and Naruto... But let's not think about that.

"We've arranged the groups such that overall abilities are equivalent." Iruka-sensei explained. "I will now announce them." He held up a sheet of paper and began to read. I ignored the first 6 groups because they were names I didn't know, like Tobi or Yomiko. Yep, random names like that. "Next, Team 7. Naruto Uzumaki. Sakura Haruno."

There was a moment of silence.

"Yeah!" Naruto cheered, standing up from his seat. Sakura must be devastated. Tsk tsk tsk...

Sakura put her head down, which made be chuckle.

"...and Sasuke Uchiha."

Naruto sat down and lowered his head, while Sakura cheered, "Yeah!"

"Oh yeah, and there will be one arrangement. Can... Jalen come up?"

"What?" I stood up and nervously walked up to Iruka-sensei. What does he mean by new arrangement? What's going on?

When I got up there, he gave me a ninja headband and two packs. One had shuriken and the other had kunai in it.

"Apparently, you're going to be added on to Team 7." Iruka-sensei said. "There's not much time to explain, so just introduce yourself to your peers."

"O-OK..." This is a major plot mess up. I'm kind of... Excited... "My name is..." I just can't keep on saying Jalen. I have to have a surname too. "...Jalen Uzumaki." I am Naruto's brother, right? I turned red, and glanced at Naruto who was also red. There was a lot of whispering now, and I put my head down, hiding behind my bangs.

"OK, you can sit down now, Jalen." Iruka-sensei instructed. I knew he was surprised too, since he knew I wasn't really Naruto's brother.

I hurried to my seat, still hiding behind my bangs. Why are their so many people whispering, just SHUTUP! I still don't even understand what's going on, though...

"Next, 8th group." Iruka-sensei started again. "Hinata Hyuuga."

"Y-yes!" The girl that was staring at me and Naruto. So that was Hinata.

"Kiba Inuzuka."

I hate Kiba. I just do. I don't even want to look at him.

"Shino Aburame."

Shino is OK, but no one I would talk to.

Sakura looked back and smirked at Ino, happy that she was in Sasuke's group.

Ino looked pissed. "Why do you have to be with him!"

Sakura just smirked, not having to say anything.

"Next, 9th group."

"Why do girls like such a guy, anyway?" Shikamaru sighed.

"Exactly..." I agreed.

"Don't you even know that, Shikamaru?" Ino asked.

"I'm not a girl." Was Shikamaru's only reply.

Ino looked so surprised. I wonder why.. But then she just sighed. "That's Why you're not popular. I wouldn't want to team up with a guy like you." Then this might really make you sad, Ino. But don't worry, I'm sure it'll be OK.

"10th group." Iruka-sensei was finally getting to the end, huh. "Ino Yamanaka. Shikamaru Nara."

"What?" Ino gasped.

"Looks like you'll have to team up with me." Shikamaru smirked.

"And... Chouji Akimichi."

I looked down and say Chouji eating a bag of chips. Wow.

Ino looked ready to kill herself. So hot...

"That's it for the groups." Iruka-sensei finished.

"Iruka-sensei!" Naruto yelled, standing up and pointing at Sasuke. "Why is a top-student like me in a group with this guy!"

Man Naruto. You didn't waste any time.

"Sasuke graduated with the highest scores." Iruka-sensei said. "And Naruto, you had the worst scores." Everybody laughed, which just pissed me off. "This happens because we evenly want to divide abilities within the groups."

"Don't pull my leg, blockhead." Sasuke said to Naruto.

"What did you just say?!" Naruto shouted, clutching his fist.

"Want to fight, blockhead?" Sasuke said. Is he trying to piss me and Naruto off, cause this is really uncalled for. Well, I guess Naruto started it. But what's really pissing be off is the class laughing.

"Blockhead?! Why you..."

"Stop it, Naruto...".Shutup, Sakura!

"Sorry..." Don't apologize!

"I'm going to introduce the Jounin teachers in the afternoon." Iruka-sensei announced. "Meeting adjourned until then!"

_**Well, I hope you all enjoy this story. I had a good time making it, and I plan to make more real soon. Well, I hope you all review... And yeah, Ya know. **_


	2. Chapter 2

**Naruto: The New Story **

Chapter 2

After the meeting, I walked outside to wait for Naruto. Many people gave me looks, but I didn't care. They were minor characters anyway.

"Jalen!" Naruto exclaimed as he walked out. "Isn't it great! We're on the same team! Who would've guessed, ya know!"

Yeah... I would have never guessed... "Yeah... Should we train while we're on break?" I asked. He shook his head no.

"Let's get something to eat!" He said, then saw Sakura. "Sakura! Let's eat together since we're in the same group!" Why, Naruto?! I hardly want to eat with her... Maybe Ino, but not Sakura.

"Why do I have to eat with you?!" Sakura yelled.

"But, we're in the same group, so..." Naruto tried, but Sakura shot her back down.

"You're annoying." Sakura glared.

OK, that's it, bitch. I'm tired of your attitude. "You know what..." I started, catching both Naruto and Sakura's attention. "He only asked you to eat with him, you don't have to act like a total bitch." Sakura gasped, and Naruto looked shock. "But... It doesn't matter." I smirked. "Naruto and I will just grab something to eat. We wouldn't want to eat with a giant forehead like you."

I grabbed Naruto's wrist and stomped away, leaving Sakura to look like the idiot she is.

"So... Whatcha wanna eat?" I asked, completely happy again.

Naruto didn't answer for a while, but smiled and answered, "Ichiraku Ramen!"

"OK! Lead the way!" I exclaimed as Naruto ran in front of me.

When we got there, Naruto ordered Miso Ramen (His favorite) and I just ordered the same thing.

"So..." Naruto started slurping his noodles. "What Jutsu do you know?"

Crap. Jutsu? I don't only crap! That's why I wanted to train, so I don't feel like a complete weakling! Well, I guess I could tell him what I do know. "Um, I'm kind of a sensor ninja. It's a ninja that can sense chakra and identify people by their chakra. It's pretty cool." I explained. "Although... That's all..."

Naruto gasped. "That's so cool! Can you teach me it!"

I sweatdropped. "I can't really teach it. It's not something you learn."

"Aww.." Naruto slurped his last noodle and asked for more.

I used this chance to eat some of my noodles too, since I didn't have breakfast. "Naruto? What kind of Jutsu do you know?" I asked, still slurping noodles.

"Oh, all I really know is the Shadow Clone Jutsu, a high level one, ya know!" Naruto replied, getting his next bowl of ramen and eating it.

Perfect. I know how to get at least as strong as Sakura. I just need to learn the Shadow Clone Jutsu, do that special training technique, and I'll get super strong! Hehe... I see it already...

"Oh, really?! Can you teach me!" I begged, getting on my knees. "That would help me so much since I think I'm behind in ability compared to everyone else!"

"Oh? OK! We can start today, after we get assigned our Jounin teach-" Suddenly, Naruto fell over, clutching his stomach. "Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow! It hurts!"

What? I didn't see him drink that milk this morning! Darn it, I was hoping this wouldn't happen...

"Naruto! Are you alright?" I asked. He shook his head no.

"I-I I gotta poop, ya know!" Naruto tried to talk, clutching his stomach as he slowly got up.

Damn. I was hoping it was just the ramen... "Well, let's get you to a bathroom! But, you have to pay the man."

"That's alright." The Ichiraku Ramen man said. "You don't have to pay, this'll be an exception."

"Thank you." I thanked as Naruto got up and sped off. I ran behind him, but not fast enough to catch up.

I couldn't even follow him... Because I turned a corner and he was gone. Darn it...what do I do now?

I looked up and saw Ino's team eating. "Ino? Should I go up there?" No. You'll look like an obsessed fan. I'll just go around and look for Naruto.

After about 10 minutes of doing that, I spotted Sakura sitting on the bench sadly. Good, that'll teach her. Although... I do feel kind of guilty.

I shouldn't think about it. Naruto is my first priority right now.

Then again, there's no reason for me to find him... So I guess I could... Train my chakra?

Well, I'm going to have too sooner or later. If I'm going to be a ninja...

Man, what do I do, though? I can clearly see my own chakra when I look at myself, but I don't know how to control it...

Maybe if I start trying, and I look at how my chakra moves... I can see what feels good and what will let me control my chakra.

OK, so I concentrated to bring chakra to my... Feet? I guess that'll do. I close my eyes and concentrate, since keeping them open wasn't working.

I... Felt the chakra move from my stomach to my feet, slowly but efficiently. When I opened my eyes, I saw most of my chakra at my feet. OK, perfect. Now... Let's try jumping.

I looked up to find a place to jump too, and found a house. Or shop... I can't really tell.

I exhaled, and jumped.

High.

Too high.

"Woah!" My feet connected with the house, but I fell. That was awesome though! And pretty easy! It didn't even hurt!

Now... Time to practice this until break is over. Or... Until Naruto finds me.

...

"Naruto. Why don't you sit still?" Sakura asked, irritated. Don't yell at him? It's not his fault Kakashi-sensei is late. He's acting like any regular person would.

Gosh, I really am debating whether I like her chakra or not. I really dislike Sasuke's chakra, but I like Naruto's chakra. Sakura is just... In between.

"But, Why is our teacher for the 7th group the only one late, ya know?" Naruto responded, looking back at Sakura. He was at the door, looking down the hallway for our teacher. "All the other groups went somewhere with their new teachers, already, and... Iruka-sensei already went home!"

Yep. I sensed his chakra when he left.

"That's not very important." Sakura sighed. What do you mean that's not important?! You make ZERO sense! Naruto ignored her and stood on a table that he moved, then tried to put an eraser on the top of the door. "What are you doing?!"

Naruto laughed and jumped off the table. Sakura walked over to him. "It's his fault for being late, ya know."

So, Naruto put the eraser in a way that when Kakashi-sensei walks in, it'll hit him in the head. Oh wow. "I don't agree to this, but I actually want to see this."

"Yeah, Jalen! This is gonna be funny, ya know!"

"Geez, it'll be your own fault when you get in trouble!" Sakura! Shut! Up! Gawd!

"A Jounin isn't going to fall for a plain old booby trap like that." Sasuke told us, monotoning. Oh? Finally talking, are we?

"Yeah, Naruto, you're so stupid!" Sakura exclaimed, instantly taking Sasuke's side.

"Ya know, you may say that on the outside, but on the inside you actually agree with Naruto. Isn't that called... Tsundere?" I said, looking away. Sakura really irritates me. It actually irritates me that Naruto doesn't see how bitchy Sakura is... And just give up on her.

Before Sakura could respond, however, Kakashi-sensei walked in. Time seemed to slow down as the eraser fell from the door.

3...

2...

...1...

The eraser plopped on his head, white dust complimenting his white hair. There was a moment of silence be... B-befo...

"HAHAHAHA!" Naruto and I yelled. "He fell for it! He totally fell for it! Hahaha!" Naruto said this, of course. I was just laughing, it just looked so funny!

"I'm sorry, sensei! I tried to stop him, but Naruto didn't listen to me..." Sakura said, looking all flustered. She was probably holding in her laughter, though.

Kakashi-sensei picked up the eraser and looked up. "How should I say this... My first impressions of you guys are..." He looked at us. "I hate you."

The mood changed from happy and nice with butterflies in the background... To unhappy and bad with Satan eating little kids in the background... That fast.

"Follow me." Kakashi-sensei ordered as he walked out the classroom, leaving us. We quickly regained our composure and followed him... Although not too close.

"What do you think of our sensei, Naruto?" I asked him.

He shrugged. "He fell for our prank, so he's probably nothing serious. He's definitely not stronger than me, ya know!" Man... How wrong you are, Naruto. And it really isn't his fault. He doesn't keep his guard up wherever he goes. Especially in a classroom with 4 Genin. Or... Could you really classify me as a Genin?

"Yeah." I agreed anyway, not wanting to disagree or spoil anything for Naruto.

He led us to the top of the Academy (I'm glad there were stairs, Although I think I'm fairly good with jumping now.) and ordered us to sit down. We did, and he sat in front of us.

"Let's see... Why don't we introduce ourselves first?" Kakashi-sensei said, looking very bored. Does he even want to do this?

"Introduce ourselves? What should we say?" Sakura asked.

"What you like, hate, dreams, and hobbies." Kakashi-sensei explained. "Something like that."

"Hey, hey." I love it when Naruto repeats his words. So cool. "Why don't you introduce yourself first, sensei?"

"Me?" Kakashi-sensei pointed to himself. "I'm Kakashi Hatake. I have no intentions of telling you my likes and dislikes." Naruto and Sakura gasped, while Sasuke and I looked emotionless. "As for my dream..." He just looked up. "I have few hobbies..."

"So all we found out was his name." Sakura muttered to us.

"Did he really just skip over dreams?" I asked.

"Now it's your turn." He told us. "You first." He pointed to Naruto.

"I'm Naruto Uzumaki!" Naruto exclaimed, adjusting his headband. "I like cup ramen. But I like eating ramen with my brother at Ichiraku Ramen even more!" Why do I always turn red when he calls me his brother? "I hate the three minutes that you have to wait after you put the ramen in the hot water." Why does Kakashi-sensei look so disinterested? "My hobby is to eat and compare cup ramens! And my dream is to become greater than the Hokages!" No... Naruto... Stop adjusting your headband.. Do you need another one or something? Mine actually feels good and comfortable on my forehead. "I'm going to make all the villagers recognize my existence."

"OK. Next." Kakashi-sensei said, looking at me. Gosh...

"My name is Jalen Uzumaki." Kakashi-sensei looked... Amused? "I like... What do I like? I don't know what I like. I guess I like people with nice chakra. I dislike people who yell at Naruto for no reason." I looked at Sakura. "And I also dislike people who seem to be mad at the world when they could just try to enjoy life." I looked at Sasuke, and he glared back. "My... Dreams are that I could be a good ninja able to protect the people I care about. And my hobbies are... I guess training."

"Interesting..." Kakashi-sensei deadpanned. Weird much? "Pinkie."

"I'm Sakura Haruno!" She started, ignoring Kakashi-sensei calling her pinkie. "I like... Well, the person I like is..." She looked at Sakura, who didn't look back. "And my hobby is... Well, my dream is to..." She looked at Sasuke again and squealed, loudly.

"And? What do you hate?" Kakashi-sensei asked.

"Naruto." Her voice went down a few notches.

"Whaaaaa!" Naruto had tears running down his face. Don't worry, Naruto. It won't be like this for long...

"Last guy!" Kakashi-sensei ordered. Sakura giggled.

"My name is Sasuke Uchiha. There are many things I hate, and their are a lot of things that I like." Sakura looked surprised. "Also, I have an ambition that I have no intention to leave as just a dream." He glared to no one in particular. "The revival of my clan and to... Kill a certain man."

Kakashi-sensei looked bored out of his mind, probably not taking Sasuke seriously. Naruto looked freaked out. Sakura was blushing, like a retard, and I was just staring at Sasuke. I knew all this already, nothing is knew to me. Just the things that they don't show in the episode.

"Alright, you four all have unique personalities, I like that." Kakashi-sensei said. "We're going to begin a mission starting tomorrow."

"Hah! What kind of mission is that, sir?!" Naruto asked. He is so hyperactive.

"First, we're going to do something us five can do." Kakashi-sensei told us.

"What what what, what is it?" Naruto asked.

"Survival training." Kakashi-sensei answered.

"Survival training?" Naruto repeated.

"Why are we going to train when it's a mission?" Sakura asked. "We had plenty of training at the Academy."

"Not me. I didn't go to the Academy, remember?" I said.

"Oh yeah... I forgot."

"This is no ordinary training." Kakashi-sensei explained.

"Then, then what kind of training is it?" Naruto asked.

Now, the weirdest thing happened... One moment Kakashi-sensei was his boring self, the next moment he was giggling. Not like a girl, but like... A mad, evil person.

"Hey, what's so funny, sensei?" Sakura asked, obviously irritated.

"Well, if I say this, I'm sure you four are going to be surprised." He laughed.

"Huh?"

"Well, out of the 28 graduates, including Jalen, only 10 are going to become Genin." His expression darkened. "The others will be sent back to the Academy. In other words, this test is going to be a very hard test with a drop out rate of 66%."

Naruto looked surprised, Sakura looked sick, and Sasuke looked... Boring. I was actually laughing. I don't know why, I just thought it was funny.

"Bring it on, Kakashi-sensei. We may not have the experience to win alone, but as a team I'm sure we'll pass!" I told him, bravely, if I do say so myself.

"Oh?" He looked surprised, but kind of amused. "We'll see, Jalen. We'll see." He said. "Your teammates all look very surprised, though!"

"No way!" Naruto exclaimed. "I went through so much trouble, then what was the final exam for, ya know?!"

"That? It just picks out those who are qualified to become Genin." Kakashi-sensei answered bluntly.

"What?!" Naruto yelled.

"Well, I'm going to determine whether you pass or fail tomorrow at the training grounds." Kakashi-sensei told us. "Bring your ninja equipment and meet at 5 A.M."

I gasped. "What?! 5 A.M?!" I was hoping he would say 6 or 7 A.M... But 5 is just way to early! I was hoping on Naruto and I training until like 12:00... But this just punts a real dent in my plans! We need at least 7 hours of sleep, ya know!

"Is that too early for you?" Kakashi-sensei asked me. "A minute ago you were jabbering on about how this test is going to be so~ easy."

"I didn't say it like that..." I muttered. Seriously...

He turned around. "Now then... Meeting over. Oh yeah, and don't eat breakfast. You're going to throw up if you do."

Naruto was shaking now... I can't say I wasn't scared either. I still don't know why I'm even on this team... But I don't plan on asking anytime soon.

Anyway, after that he left, leaving us to ourselves. Sasuke got up and left immediately after, and Sakura did too (Probably just trying to follow Sasuke. Although, she did look kind of sick).

Naruto got up and jumped off the Academy building, landing on the ground. "Come on, Jalen!" Why do you want me to jump off a building?! This reminds me of the saying, If they jump off a bridge, will you? I guess the answer to that is... Yes.

"Okay!" I yelled as I jumped off. I practiced this stuff earlier, so I know how to jump off buildings without killing myself. Just concentrate the chakra (which is easier for me cause I can see it.) to my feet and if I want to jump high, just jump and I'll go higher, for some reason. If I wanted to jump off things and make my landing soft... I have to put more chakra to my feet, cause I'm very cautious. But I need to work on that in the future, I think.

I landed on the ground, and fell on my butt. OK, I might need more practice, but atleast it didn't hurt.

"You OK, Jalen?" Naruto asked as I got up.

"Yeah... Just a little freaked out about what our sensei said." I explained, or lied.

"Oh." Naruto began to walk, me following him. "What should we do, ya know?" What should we do? What are you talking about? I think he saw my confused face and exclaimed, "What if we fail?! I tried so hard to get to where I am now, I can't just start all over, ya know!"

I was taken aback. I knew he was pretty worried, but he seems to be more than just worried... I can tell he worked hard to become a Genin.

"...We won't fail." I didn't have anything more to say. I can't say, "It's gonna be alright." because I haven't gone through it. "If we all try our hardest and work as a team, we'll definitely make it, I'm sure!"

"...Are you really?" Naruto asked. I nodded, and he grinned. "Then let's train! We'll train all night if we have too!" Wow, he gets his spirit back fast...

"We can't train all night. Sensei said to be there by 5 A.M, so we have to go to bed at 10:00 P.M." I sound like a teacher, don't I? "We can train from now until 9:00... Take our showers and everything... And by in the bed by 10. Although, if you want to eat before we go to bed, we can go at 10:30."

"That's so early!" Naruto exclaimed. "I've never had a bed time, so I just go to sleep whenever I get tired."

"Yeah, me too..." I lied. "But I'm thinking as hard as I can so we can pass the test tomorrow. So I think having at least 7 hours of sleep is good."

Naruto grinned, and put his arm around me. "First, let's eat! We can eat the ramen cups that we were going to eat for breakfast tomorrow, ya know!" He then added. "Since we can't have breakfast."

"OK, but let's make it fast!" We were now in front of Naruto's house. So I ran inside and took out the ramen for him to make. He rushed in too, closing the door behind him.

I was planning on making my aim better with my new ninja tools, and to learn a little bit of hand to hand combat. By the end of the day, I want to be a little bit lower in ability than Sakura. Oh my... That sounds so pitiful...

As we were waiting for the ramen to cook (I was sitting on the bed, Naruto was sitting at the table singing about ramen) I decided to start up a conversation. "So... What's up with you and Sasuke?" I knew the answer, I just wanted to see what Naruto would say. And as I thought, he frowned.

"I don't like him." Naruto said. "All the girls fawn over him, when he's nothing special. Everybody says he's the best in the class, when I'm sure a lot of people are better than him, including me!" He grunted. "And he always acts so stuck up! It pisses me off, ya know!"

"Yeah, I don't like him that much either." I replied. "His chakra is just... Dark." I couldn't explain it, but it just was. I'm pretty sure it will get darker the longer the story progresses.

"What do you mean by his chakra?" Naruto asked, totally not understanding.

I sighed. "Well, remember how I said I can sense chakra?" He nodded. "Yeah, well... I can't thoroughly explain it, but the chakra they emit can tell a little about the person." I then added. "I especially like your chakra. It's nice and everytime I take time to sense your chakra, it warms me up a little." I smiled. "It shows how good a person you are."

Naruto grinned and then asked, "How about Sakura?!" He then quickly added. "And sensei!"

I frowned, because Sakura's still confused me. It's probably because of her tsundere nature... "Sakura's chakra... It's nice. It's just that... Her attitude towards you." I paused. "I don't like it. That's the confusing thing about her. Her chakra is nice, which means she must be a nice person deep down inside, it's just... When she acts like the way she does towards you, it just gives a bad example and distracts me from her real self, you could say..."

Naruto looked down, probably discouraged about Sakura. "So Sakura really does like me? Or not... I can't tell."

She doesn't like you. She loves Sasuke, but don't worry. "I don't know... Only time will tell." I smiled again. "And sensei has a lot of chakra, strong chakra! It's really nice having him on our side!"

Naruto grinned again, and took the noodles out the hot water. After we were done eating we went outside and Naruto stood in front of me, like... A sensei?

"So, what do you want to train with first, Jalen?" Naruto asked me. Weapons. I definitely need to learn how to throw.

"Let's practice at projectiles. Sensei might train us with that, too, I think." I lied. I'm always lying to you Naruto... I'm sorry. I really am... But you don't understand.. "So let's throw some things, or whatever."

"OK!" Naruto exclaimed, getting his weapons ready. I got mine read too, and we threw them at a tree. We threw shuriken, by the way.

Anyway, the Naruto's shuriken hit the tree, but mine missed. Of course...

I somehow managed to trick Naruto into teaching me how to hold the weapons, and how to throw them right.

After 2 hours of training with that, we decided to train on my hand to hand combat. I grabbed one of the kunai Iruka-sensei gave me, and Naruto and I sparred. He was easily better than me, but he went easy on me. When I began getting good, he added a few clones. I was able to strike them, since they wasn't the real him. After I struck them with my kunai, they poofed in a cloud of smoke.

After two more hours of practicing that, we spent one last hour practicing our Jutsu and chakra. He taught me how to change into someone else, and to make a doppelganger. They weren't perfect, but after we was done I was acceptable in everything.

"Wow! You learn fast, ya know!" Naruto was panting, sweat dripping from his face and hair.

"...Yeah..." I was also panting, and sweat was dripping from my face and hair too. "This is a lot to take in though... I'm... Tired."

We walked in the house. It was 8:49.

"I don't feel like eating... Or taking a shower..." Naruto moaned, getting in the bed.

"But we're sweating... And we don't smell so good..." I sighed, also getting in the bed. "You should at least get in your night clothes..."

"But you're in the bed too..." Naruto whined. "Can't we just take a shower in the morning?"

"But you stink."

"You stink too, ya know!" Naruto exclaimed. "We're both guys, we're supposed to smell bad sometimes." He yawned. "It doesn't matter~…"

I sighed. "Fine, but let's at least take a shower in the morning, OK?"

Naruto nodded, and turned to me. I was also facing him. Since the bed was so small, our noses were touching too. This actually reminded me... Of...

"Waaahhh!" We screamed, falling out the bed.

"I-I'm sorry, but that position we were in reminded me of..."

"...When we accidentally kissed earlier today?" Naruto finished for me, looking sick. I was too, actually.

"...But it was an accident, so let's just forget about it..." I advised him. "I still remember that ramen taste, though..."

"I can't get rid of that toothpaste taste, ya know!" Naruto exclaimed, shivering.

I sweatdropped. "It's not my fault I didn't have breakfast. It's also not my fault we kissed, it's Sakura's! It's also not my fault my tongue went in your mouth!"

"How is that not your fault?!" Naruto shouted. "Don't blame Sakura for your mistakes!"

"Oh my God!" I yelled, pulling my hair. "She treats you like crap, why do you even like her?! She's the one that pushed both of us!"

Naruto was silent, and looked down.

I looked down too. "I'm sorry... I shouldn't have said that. Listen, that kiss was an accident, so let's just leave it as that. It'll never happen again, clear?" I asked him, and he nodded his head, but still didn't look at me.

We both got in the bed and turned away from each other. I'm sure he'll be better tomorrow. Anyway, I'll just set the clock for 4:00. It should take us an hour to get ready and make it to the training field.

... I hope nothing bad happens...


	3. Chapter 3

**Naruto: The New Story **

Chapter 3

Naruto and I were walking down the trail to the training grounds. Even though we had plenty of sleep, we were exhausted. Why does this happen... It's so annoying.

"Hey, Naruto? Are you still worried?" I asked, grinning.

He scoffed. "I was never worried about anything... Just surprised... Ya know..." Wow, a sleepy Naruto is a quiet Naruto.

I chuckled, and looked ahead. I guess there are three ways to get here, cause Sakura and Sasuke were coming from other directions.

"Good morning..." Sakura greeted, rubbing her eyes. I noticed she had a pink bag... Where did that come from?

"Hey..." Naruto looked down, probably sleep walking.

Sasuke looked the same as always, I guess he wasn't tired at all. I tried to look regular, but my eyes wouldn't open wide at all.

"Hello..." I waved, slowly.

We didn't say anything after that, just waited for Kakashi-sensei to arrive...

_**Many hours later...**_

"Good morning, everyone." Kakashi-sensei greeted smiling.

"YOU'RE LATE!" Naruto, Sakura, and I yelled at him. Come on, Sasuke. You have to join us to add emphasis.

"Sorry, a black cat crossed my path, so..." He pointed to nowhere in particular. I'm sure none of us believed him... And he knew that. "...Let's move on." He walked over to a log with a clock on it and pressed it. "Alarm set at 12 PM."

It's 12 PM? We could have been late if we wanted... Stupid! Stupid! Stupid Sensei! Then again, he could mean the test will end at 12... I don't know anymore!

"Today's topic is to get one of these bells from me." He held up two silver bells. "Whoever can't will have no lunch."

"What?!" Naruto yelled, but Kakashi-sensei ignored him.

"I'm going to tie you there, and eat lunch in front of you." Kakashi-sensei explained. We all looked sick now, except for Sasuke.

"But wait, why are there only two bells?" Sakura asked.

Kakashi-sensei smiled. "Since there's two at least one of you will be tied to the log." But... There's four of us, ya know? "That person will fail, since he was unable to complete his mission. So will the person that shows the worst results." He wiggled the bells. "That person will go back to the Academy. It might just be one, or all four."

"But, there are only three logs." I told him.

He walked over to the logs, did some handsigns, and pressed forcefully on the ground. Another log appeared on that same spot.

"Now. As I was saying." He looked bored again. "You can use your shuriken. You won't be able to get them unless you have the will to kill me."

"But, that's too dangerous, Sensei!" Sakura exclaimed.

"Yeah, you couldn't even dodge that chalk eraser!" Naruto laughed, and I giggled too

"In society, those who don't have many abilities tend to complain more." Kakashi-sensei monotoned. "Just ignore the guy with the lowest score." Naruto frowned. "We're going to start after I say, "Ready Start."" I looked over to Naruto and saw him glaring, grinding his teeth. As soon as I blinked, Naruto swung out a kunai and charged at Kakashi-sensei.

Sakura and Sasuke gasped. Wait... Even Sasuke was surprised?! Oh mah Gawd!

Kakashi-sensei simply grabbed Naruto's wrist and got behind Naruto, holding the kunai at Naruto's head. Naruto... If Kakashi-sensei was serious you would be dead right now...

"Don't get hasty." Kakashi-sensei's voice deepened. "I didn't say "Start" yet."

Naruto was shocked, but otherwise fine. Sakura, Sasuke and I stepped back as Kakashi-sensei let Naruto go. This is his true strength, Naruto. I hope you learn from your mistake.

"But, it looks like you have the will to kill me now." Kakashi-sensei chuckled. I narrowed my eyes, studying his chakra. If I keep an eye on it, I can warn Naruto or the others when he'll use a Jutsu. "We're going to start." Everyone got ready. "Ready, Start!"

Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke and I jumped away into the woods, each from different directions. (I stayed with Naruto, though.)

"OK, we're away from him. Now we shou-"

"Fight him!" Naruto exclaimed. Rushing ahead to find Kakashi-sensei, although he just left him.

"W-wait, Naruto!" I shouted, chasing after him. "I need to stay with you! I can sense his chakra movement, and warn you when he's using a Jutsu! I can also sense Sakura and Sasuke's chakra, so maybe we should get help from them!"

"No! We'll face him head on, by ourselves! Come on, ya know!" Naruto exclaimed, picking up speed. I sighed, and also picked up speed.

We finally found Kakashi-sensei, and Naruto - as usual - shouted. "Let's have a match fair and square!"

"I'll back you up!" I yelled, knowing Sakura and Sasuke were watching us close by.

"Huh?" Kakashi-sensei looked like he wanted to facepalm. "Hey, aren't you two a little weird compared to the rest?"

"I'm not weird!" I defended myself. "I just knew that teamwork was important in this! So I can't just sit back and watch Naruto fight you by himself!" Sakura, Sasuke, come on!

"Yeah!" Naruto charged at Kakashi-sensei, yelling. Kakashi-sensei went in his ninja tools pouch, so Naruto stopped. Good job, Naruto! That was smart of you! I took out a shuriken and flung it a Kakashi-sensei, making sure he wouldn't take anything out.

Kakashi-sensei just side stepped, avoiding my mediocre thrown shuriken. "Ninja tactic know-how number one, taijutsu. I'll teach you that first." Kakashi-sensei took out his... Perverted book. I think it was that book, I was told far away to see what it said.

Naruto looked confused, Kakashi-sensei didn't. "What's the matter? Come and get me."

"But, um, um... Why did you take out a book?" Naruto asked.

"Why? I got curious as to how the story will progress." Kakashi-sensei answered, looking down and started to read. "Don't worry about it. It's the same whether I read it or not."

"Don't get smart! Sensei!" I yelled, rushing past Naruto and attacking Kakashi-sensei. I punched for his stomach, but he just blocked it. "OK then!" I spun around him and moved my legs to trip him, (or just hurt his legs...) but he just jumped, all the while reading that book. "Grrr..." I took out a kunai and charged at him again, slashing randomly. Naruto seemed to be out of his trance, and joined in the fight to yelling all his attacks before he does that. Kakashi-sensei simply dodged all my attacks and blocked all of Naruto's attacks. This started confusing me, so Kakashi-sensei took that chance to get me to bump into Naruto, making us both fall on the ground.

Naruto got up immediately (I was actually pretty tired) and lunged again. This time, Kakashi-sensei teleported, ran, did something and got behind Naruto, his hands in a position to do a Jutsu. Although... I didn't feel any chakra rising from him anywhere.. Which means...

"A ninja should not let an enemy get behind him multiple times, idiot." Kakashi-sensei said.

"Naruto, watch out!" I yelled.

"Naruto, run! You're going to die!" I heard Sakura yell from somewhere random. God... WHY DON'T YOU HELP?!

"Huh?" Naruto looked over in Sakura's direction in confusion. Does he not know Kakashi-sensei is right behind him?

"Hidden Village of Konoha's secret taijutsu master art..!" Kakashi-sensei shouted, sticking Naruto in the butt with his tiger seal. Naruto looked surprised, then sick, then surprised again. "A thousand years of pain!" Kakashi-sensei pushed harder into Naruto's butt... Wait... That sounds so wrong... Anyway, he pushed harder and Naruto flew in the air, screaming.

Naruto fell in the lake, and Kakashi-sensei turned to a page in his book. I was gaping, slowly crawling back into the woods.

Suddenly, two shuriken flew out the water, charging at Kakashi-sensei. I smirked. Good job, Naruto! You're doing good, ya know!

But... Kakashi-sensei just flung his hand up and caught the shuriken. I frowned, and looked in pity as Naruto crawled out the water, coughing.

"What's wrong?" Kakashi-sensei asked him. "You won't get any lunch if you don't get a bell by noon." He then turned to me. "And I thought you said this would be easy."

I jumped up and did a few handsigns. I won't let this guy just say this stuff, I'll show him!

A few doppelgangers appeared next to me.

"Oh?" Kakashi-sensei feigned surprise. "Still going to try and attack me?"

"Heck yeah! Naruto, use your Jutsu and help me!" I ordered as all of me charged at Kakashi-sensei. I know that they can't touch him... But if I mix up with them and confuse him... And then punch him... Then I can grab-

Kakashi-sensei kicked me. He saw right through me, and kicked me. Straight in the chest. I flew back and skidded to a stop on the ground.. The first time I've been hit...

And it hurts.

I looked at my arm, and saw plenty of scratches on it. That... Really hurt...

And the air got knocked out of my chest too, I needed to take big breaths to breath now...

And I was hungry... So... So hungry... I'll just lay on the ground here, until I get my energy back.

"Oh? One kick and your out? That's a little pathetic, don't you think?" Kakashi-sensei asked me. Naruto then proceeded to yell at him, something about hunger and how he shouldn't kick me that hard... Or something... "You won't be able to protect your loved ones like that."

"Shut... Up... Sensei..." I mumbled.

"I'm going to become a ninja!" Naruto yelled. Suddenly, a lot of Naruto's came out the water. "Haha! Security is your grestest enemy! This is my best technique, the mass shadow clone Jutsu, ya know!"

The clones all ran towards Kakashi-sensei, about to take him down. Suddenly, one Naruto appeared out of nowhere and grabbed Kakashi-sensei from behind.

Naruto laughed. "A ninja shouldn't let the enemy get behind him, right, Kakashi-sensei?!" All the Naruto's grabbed Kakashi-sensei, holding him down while one of them jumped in the air. "I used the Shadow Clone Jutsu... Let one sneak out from the lower part of the river, and made it sneak behind you, ya know! I'm going to pay you back for that attack on my butt!" Good job, Naruto! Now finish him off! "I'm going to punch you, ya know!"

Naruto punched, but it didn't hit Kakashi-sensei...

"Ow!" I yelled, blood coming out my nose. Naruto punched me! He actually punched me! What happened to Kakashi-sensei?! Why am I here?! Why is my nose bleeding, Oh yeah, Naruto punched me... But it hurts so much!

"Huh?" Naruto looked confused, but then shocked when he saw who he hit. I fell on the ground (for some reason we were in the air) and yelled, "Owch! Naruto! Why?!"

"You must be Kakashi-sensei! You transformed, didn't you?!" Naruto went off on me. And why is the Clone still holding me?! Get off of me!

I elbowed Naruto in the chest (the clone) and jumped up. The clones all started to attack me, and I took out a kunai and randomly lunged at all of them. "Leave me alone! I'm not Kakashi-sensei! Leave me alone!"

I slashed one of them on the cheek and he fell back, all of the other clones poofing away. Ah, so I guess that was the real Naruto... And I just...

"Naruto! Are you OK?!" I ran up to him and inspected his cheek.

"J-Jalen?" Naruto asked. "It's really you?"

"Duh." I sighed. "Let's take a break. Kakashi-sensei is too tough. We need to have a plan."

He nodded. "OK." He then looked around and gasped. "A bell!"

"...Huh?"

"He must've been in a hurry if he dropped a bell." Naruto smirked. I facepalmed.

"Naruto, it's most definitely a trap!" I told him, grabbing his arm, but he kept running for it. "Naruto, stop!"

"But the bell!" We were practically wrestling now. "Let go! We need to get the bell, ya know!"

"Why would he leave a bell there?! It's obviously a trap!" I yelled, but felt something catch my foot. I looked down, and saw Naruto and my foot caught in the rope. "Uh-oh..."

We flew up and hung from the rope, face to face. We both turned red, out of embarrassment and anger.

"Naruto..."

"...I'm sorry..."

Kakashi-sensei came out of nowhere and picked the bell up. "Use your techniques carefully." Kakashi-sensei said. "And think more. That's why it was easy to manipulate you two. And..." He threw the bells in the air, and smiled. "Don't fall for an obvious trap, stupids."

Naruto squirmed in anger, causing our faces to get closer and closer. "I already know, ya know!"

"I'm telling you this because you don't, got it?" Kakashi-sensei explained. Naruto... Our faces... "Your movements are filled with unnecessary motions." I suddenly saw shuriken fly from the woods to Kakashi-sensei. "You're so... Oh..?" The shuriken hit him, making him fly to the side.

Naruto screamed while I gasped. "He got hit! Sasuke overdid it!"

Wait... This doesn't look fake... It looks like... Oh my God...


	4. Chapter 4

**Naruto: The New Story **

Chapter 4

_**Hey, guys! I'm glad you all like this story, and I'm glad some of you are reviewing, it makes me happy getting reviews! : )**_

_**Anyway, I was saying I'm going to use the original translation starting now. Which means a few things... **_

_**1. Shadow Clone Jutsu will just be Shadow Replication, like in the translation. **_

_**2. Last names will go first. **_

_**3. And... The other Jutsu will have the original names. So... Yeah...**_

_**There may be more, but this is all now. Bye nii~!**_

* * *

Kakashi-sensei was falling on the ground, blood spraying from his side. But suddenly, as I knew in the back of my mind, he turned into a log.

There was a moment of silence, just looking at each other, before Naruto grumbled. "How dare he call us stupid. Damn it, I'm never falling for his traps again." Naruto grabbed a kunai and cut the rope, making us fall. He did a few flips and landed on the ground skillfully, while I just barely landed, wobbling a little. Naruto grinned at me, but we suddenly flew up in the air again, another rope tying our ankles together. "I fell for it, ya know!" Naruto! Stop wiggling everywhere!

I... Really wasn't expecting that one. Well, there better not be anymore...

"Waaahhhh!" Naruto screamed, moving around everywhere in frustration. I, on the other hand, calmly checked for Kakashi-sensei's chakra. He wasn't nearby, and so was Sakura and Sasuke. Did they really run away?! "Not fair!"

"Naruto, stop wiggling!" I yelled, grabbing a kunai and cutting the rope again. Naruto, unprepared, fell on his back. I actually landed perfectly, somehow. "Kakashi-sensei isn't near us, but he's by Sasuke and Sakura! What should we do?"

He stood up and grumbled something, wiping the dirt off his body. He then gasped, and started grinning. "Kakashi-sensei isn't by us... Right?"

"Nope."

"Which means..." He giggled, and grabbed my wrist. "Follow me!" He began running, pulling me along with him. I sighed, already knowing what he's going to do...

"What're we doing?" I asked him anyway. He giggled again.

"I saw some food while we were tied up!" He answered.

"What're we going to do with that food?" My stomach growled. "Never mind..."

Naruto laughed. "I knew you would agree with me, ya know!"

We finally made it to the food, which was on the memorial rock thing. Surprisingly, there were two lunches. Good, cause I didn't want to share. I'm hungry!

Naruto grabbed a lunch and sat down. I did the same.

"All we have to do is eat this while hiding instead of getting a bell." Naruto laughed. His hands were in the position you would put them in to pray. "Time to eat!"

I smiled. "Yaho-hoo!"

"Hey." Someone called out to us, causing Naruto and I to jump. That was quick... I wasn't expecting him to come that fast. I jumped up and ran.

"See ya, Naruto!" I waved, running into the woods. I'm sorry, but I actually don't want to know what Kakashi-sensei does to you... All I have to do is find Sasuke, and Sakura will come on her own.

All I heard after that was Naruto screaming... I'm so sorry...

After a while of running, I found Sasuke, his body stuck underground. I looked at him, he glared at me. "...Hi."

Sakura suddenly found us, pausing her entire body as she saw Sasuke.

She stared at him, started to faint, caught herself, looked at him again, started looking sick...

"Sakura, Jalen." Sasuke had a blank face on.

That was all it took for Sakura to scream, "Now it's a severed head!" And faint on the ground. I sighed, and walked over to Sasuke.

"...How am I supposed to get you out?" I asked. He looked like he wanted to shrug.

"I don't know, it's not my Jutsu." He replied. I thought for a second, then grabbed his hair. "Ow! What are you doing?!"

"Shush." I ordered. I clenched his hair and pulled. He looked pissed now, but he was probably holding back tears. I can tell this hurts. After about a minute, he was out.

"...Thanks." He grumbled, bending down to check on Sakura.

"You're welcome." I grinned.

Sakura woke up, looking dazed. "Sasuke?" She quickly got up and hugged him. "You were OK!"

"Don't get so close!" Sasuke yelled, pushing her away. She kept trying to hug him, though... This was probably the only time she would be able to, ya know.

After all that, Sasuke looked up at the sky. "There's little time left until noon. I'm going."

"Sasuke, are you still going after that bell?" Sakura asked him.

"It's impossible, ya know." Darn, Naruto is catching on to me. "I mean, he's a Jounin."

"It doesn't matter if he's a Jounin. I was able to touch the bells a while ago." Sasuke explained. "I can get them next time."

"Huh?" Don't look so confused, Sakura. "Oh? Is that so? You're amazing, Sasuke." Don't praise him. Kakashi-sensei can easily slaughter all of us. "Um... Since we have little time left, why don't we try harder next time and give up for now." Didn't I try to tell Naruto that? I think I did...

Sasuke glared at Sakura, causing her to gasp. He turned around, making her put her head down in sadness.

"Only I can kill that man." Sasuke looked down, his bangs covering his eyes. I guess he's talking about Itachi.

"What..?" Sakura probably thinks he's talking about Kakashi-sensei. "You mean Sensei?" See, I knew it.

"I was crying at the time." Sasuke ignored Sakura.

"Crying..?" Sakura, just listen.

"My..."

"What? What are you talking about?" Sakura looked terrified. I don't know if I should say anything or not... I guess I won't...

"I'm an avenger. I must become stronger than him." Sasuke told us. "I don't have time to stumble here."

"But, maybe it would be better for us all to work together." I told him, but he shook his head.

"You two would hold me back. I must do this alone." Suddenly, we all heard a bell ringing. Was it time already?! "Damn it, I wasted my time talking." Sasuke cursed, looking down again. He started to walk away.

"Sasuke..." Sakura whispered, watching him go.

I started to follow him, and I guess Sakura was following me. I didn't care, because it doesn't really matter.

After a few minutes, we were all sitting down in front of the four logs. Well, Naruto was tied up, glaring at me. I'm sorry, Naruto... But... I was scared. Please, forgive me! Well, Kakashi-sensei was looking down at us in pity.

My stomach started growling, and it didn't take long to realize everyone's were.

"Oh? Your stomachs are growling, eh?" Kakashi-sensei asked us. "By the way, about the results of this training..." He put up a finger. "None of you need to go back to the Ninja Academy."

Naruto smiled and Sakura looked confused. "Huh? But all I did was faint. Is that OK?"

Sasuke also smiled a little. I tried to put up a fake smile, but it wouldn't work, since I knew what was coming.

Sakura started jumping up and down, dancing.

"Does that mean, we four..?" Naruto started.

Kakashi-sensei smiled. "Yep. You four..." They didn't let him finish. They just started celebrating, even though Naruto was tied up. "Should quit being Ninja!"

They paused. Everything paused. We all just looked at Kakashi-sensei, processing what he said.

Sakura looked sick, Naruto did too, and Sasuke looked mad. I just stared at Kakashi-sensei blankly.

"Quit being Ninja?! What do you mean?!" Naruto shouted. "We couldn't get a bell, but why do you have to say we should quit?!"

"It's because you four are just kids who don't deserve to be Ninja." Kakashi-sensei told us.

Sasuke growled and charged at Kakashi-sensei. Naruto gasped, and Sakura yelled, "Sasuke!"

A second passed, and Sasuke was on the ground, Kakashi-sensei on top of him. He was stepping on Sasuke's head, holding his arm behind his back.

"Don't step on Sasuke!" Sakura yelled, looking pissed. Sasuke looked like he was about to cry... Man...

"Do you guys think being a Ninja is easy?" Kakashi-sensei asked us.

"No!" I immediately answered. "Of course not! How could killing and stealing and sneaking around be easy?! Nothing about being a Ninja is easy, you could die any moment!"

"Exactly!" Kakashi-sensei said. "Why do you think we're training by breaking up into groups?"

"What do you mean?" Sakura asked him.

"In other words, you four don't understand the answer in this test." Kakashi-sensei told us. Why are you being so difficult, Sensei?!

"Answer?" Naruto looked confused, or bored.

"That's right. The answer to determine whether you pass or fail." But... We don't know! Well, I know. They don't.

"We've been asking what that is..." Sakura whined.

"Geez, are your brains empty? You don't understand why your all in a group?" Kakashi-sensei asked.

"So what about four people being in a group, ya know?!" Naruto was mad, now.

"It's... Teamwork." Kakashi-sensei told them. They all gasped, and looked at me. Yep, I've been telling them this for a while now. And they know.

"You mean, cooperate with each other?" Sakura asked.

"That's right, but it's too late even if you notice now." Kakashi-sensei glared. "If all four of you come at me at once, maybe you could have gotten a bell." His face was black again. "But, that's too bad."

"Why do we need to use teamwork when there's only two bell?" Sakura asked. "If four people work hard to get it, two people will have to bite the bullet. A group conflict will occur instead of teamwork." ...She's right.

"Of course. This test tries to put you four against each other." Then what's the point of teamwork?!

"What?"

"In this situation, we select those who can prioritize teamwork before themselves." Kakashi-sensei explained. "That was the purpose, but all of you were pathetic."

"Hey! Not me!" I shouted. "I actually urged everyone to work together!"

"But when things got tough or frightening for you, you abandoned the only person that would work together with you." Kakashi-sensei told me. I looked down, while Naruto was probably smirking at me. Probably not, though. "And Sakura." She looked surprised. "You cared more about Sasuke than Naruto, even though Naruto was right in front of you and you didn't know where Sasuke was." True. "Naruto. All you did was make decisions on your own. When Jalen actually had a good idea, you shot it down and continued doing the same bad idea you were thinking of doing. It's the same as doing things by yourself." True. He stepped on Sasuke's head harder and looked at him. "And you assumed that those three were going to burden you and did everything on your own." He looked at us again. "Missions are done in groups. It's true that Ninja need well-developed individual abilities, but it's teamwork that is much more important. An individual action that disrupts the teamwork will result in danger or even death of the teammates." He went in his Ninja pouch and took out a kunai. "For example..." He brought the kunai to Sasuke's neck. "Sakura! Kill Naruto or Sasuke's going to die!"

"Wha!" Naruto and Sakura gasped. Naruto looked terrified and Sakura looked shocked. I actually looked shocked too, cause I forgot about this part.

"That's what will happen." Kakashi-sensei told us. Sasuke looked embarrassed, and closed his eyes. I wonder... Is he holding back tears?

"Oh, you surprised me..." Sakura gasped.

I laughed. "It would have just been better for Sakura to attack you, cause if she would have killed Naruto, it's not certain that you wouldn't have still killed Sasuke."

"Yep." Kakashi-sensei spun his kunai in his hand. "After getting someone taken hostage, you will be faced with a difficult decision, and someone will die." He put the kunai back in his pouch and got off of Sasuke. "In every mission, you put your life on the line." Sasuke just glared, not getting up. "Look at this, the numerous names carved into this stone." Sasuke got up. "All these names are those praised as heroes in this village."

"I like that! I like that!" Naruto grinned. Poor Naruto... "I've decided that I'm going to have my name carved into that! A hero! A hero! I'm not going to die a useless death!" Sasuke walked over to us. Man, he's moving slow.

"But, they're not normal heroes."

"So what kind of heroes were they, ya know?" Naruto asked, totally oblivious to the fact they were all dead. Kakashi-sensei didn't answer him. "Come on, tell me."

"Those who were K.I.A." Was Kakashi-sensei's only answer.

Naruto looked shocked for a moment, but smiled again. "K.I.A?"

"Those who were killed in action..." Sakura's voice was low... In a sad way.

Naruto smiled awkwardly, and paused. He slowly looked down and frowned. I frowned too.

"This is a Cenotaph." Kakashi-sensei looked at the stone. "The name's of my friends are carved on here as well."

Everyone looked sad now. Even me, and I actually knew this already. Just... Really thinking about it makes me sad...

Kakashi-sensei turned back towards us. "I'll give you one more chance. However, the battle for the bell will be much harsher after lunch. Eat lunch only if you are up to the challenge. But, don't let Naruto eat!"

"Eh?!"

"This is the punishment for breaking the rules and trying to eat lunch early." He gave us a dark look. "If anyone feeds him, that person will automatically fail." We all looked at him in dislike. "I'm the rule here, got it?"

He teleported or whatever away. Sasuke, Sakura and I grabbed a lunch and started to eat. Naruto just grumbled, his stomach growling.

After about a minute, Naruto yelled, "I'm OK, even if I don't eat! I'm ok, ya know!" His stomach grumbled again.

"Here ya go, Naruto!" I grabbed my food and held it in front of him. I don't sense Kakashi-sensei anywhere, so that's both bad and good. I... Won't explain.

"Hey! Jalen! Sensei just said that..." Sakura started, but I interrupted her.

"I don't sense anyone near us, so he won't know." I told her. "Naruto needs all the energy he can get."

"I agree." Woohooo! Sasuke, you're finally becoming a little likeable! "We three are going to get the bells together." He held his food in front of Naruto also.

Sakura gulped, and held out her food to Naruto too. Naruto looked at her wide eyed, probably thinking this is a dream. Naruto's eyes got teary, and Sakura smiled.

"Thanks..." Naruto was really about to cry.

"You don't need to thank me, just eat, hurry..." Sakura urged.

"But, um..."

"I'm on a diet, I mean..." LOL. WHAT?! WHY?! "I eat less than Sasuke." Oh really? "So just hurry and eat."

"But..." He tried to move his arms. "See..?"

Sakura looked like she was about to kill Naruto for that split instant.

"Hurry, we don't know when he'll be back." Sasuke told them. I nodded. Well, I think I would sense him...

"I'm only going to do this once. You understand?!" Sakura was shaking now. She really looked mad.

"I understand, ya know." Naruto smiled. Sakura moved the chopsticks to Naruto's mouth, and Naruto ate the rice happily. Sakura looked irritated.

Suddenly, a cloud of smoke appeared in front of us, creating a gust of wind! What the heck?! Why didn't I sense him earlier?! What's going on?!

"You four!" Kakashi-sensei yelled, charging out of the smoke. I quickly grabbed a kunai and stood in front of Naruto, trying to defend him. Naruto just yelled. So did Sakura, shielding her face. Sasuke just looked prepared to fight. "You four broke the rule. Are you prepared for the punishment?" He started doing handsigns. What? I don't remember that... His chakra changed, it was rising. Which meant he was charging for an intense Jutsu... "Any last words?" Black clouds were in the sky, lightning charging up in them.

Sasuke glared, Sakura was on her knees, holding her head with her eyes closed, and I was still holding my kunai in a defensive form, a little scared though...

I couldn't see Naruto, since he was behind me... But I heard him say, "But..."

"Huh?" Kakashi-sensei tilted his head.

"But... But... But..." Naruto started to yell. "You said..! Ya know! That's why these three..." He looked at us.

"We're a four man team, right?!" Sasuke asked.

Sakura looked up, suddenly not scared anymore and shouted. "Yeah! We four are one!"

I smirked, sweat running down my face. "We had to do it, cause as you said earlier, teamwork is everything!"

"Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!" Naruto yelled, trying to break free from the ropes binding him. "That's right, ya know!"

"You three are one, eh?" Kakashi-sensei walked closer to us. He stared at us for a while... I noticed his chakra level returned to normal. He smiled. "You pass."

Moment of silence...

"...Huh?"

"You pass."

"Pass? Why?" Sakura looked speechless.

"You three are the first..." Kakashi-sensei told us. The black clouds were going away, showing the sun. "People I had previously were blockheads who just listened to what I said." He looked up at us. "Ninja are those who need to think beyond the normal. In the world of Ninja, those who break the rules are called scum. But those who don't take care of their friends are worse than scum."

Sakura smiled, Naruto was teary eyed, Sasuke smirked, and I laughed. This was a fun day, even though we came here super early, and Sensei came late... I really liked being with everyone. And that ending with the clouds and everything.. Awesome. I can't believe I forgot about that... And actually thought he was gonna kill us.

"He's... He's kind of cool." Naruto said, smiling widely.

"The training ends here." Kakashi-sensei told us. "Everyone passes! The 7th group will start doing missions starting tomorrow!" He gave us a thumbs up... Which I knew I deserved after all of this.

"Yes, sir!" Sakura exclaimed, also smiling. Sasuke just had his eyes closed, I guess too cool for this.

"I did it! I'm a Ninja, Ninja, Ninja!" Naruto laughed.

"Yaho-hoo! I passed! I actually passed!" I cheered, jumping around.

"Let's go home." Kakashi-sensei turned around and started to walk away. Sasuke and Sakura followed. I cut Naruto's rope to free him, and grabbed his wrist.

He giggled, and we ran towards Kakashi-sensei and the others. In the original series he was actually left behind. I wonder how he got free...

"So, Naruto?" I whispered to him. "Sakura actually fed you. I think this is a good sign."

"Really, really?" Naruto asked, and I nodded. "Well, of course Sakura would feed me in my time of need, ya know! She's so caring and considerate." She wouldn't have done it if I didn't say anything...

After a while of talking, we were finally back in the village. I saw Ino's team talking in front of Ichiraku Ramen. Well, mostly Chouji was arguing with everyone else. Asuma was trying to calm down the heated conversation.

"Hey, Kakashi-sensei?" I called out to him. "Why don't we celebrate by getting Ichiraku Ramen? It's pretty early to just go home."

"Sure." He agreed, making Naruto cheer.

"Really?! Woohoo!" He jumped around. "Ramen! Ramen! Ramen!" It's sad... He doesn't know I'm just doing this to get an opportunity to talk with Ino.

Sakura started to scold. "Now, Naruto. Calm down. I don't want people looking at us weird." Naruto stopped, and we walked over to Ichiraku Ramen.

"Ino?" I gasped in fake surprise as we were near them. She stopped arguing with Chouji and looked over at us. She then gasped and started to blush.

"Sasuke!" She ran over to us and hugged Sasuke, making me fall down Anime Style. Why did she immediately notice Sasuke and not me? I'm way cooler than Sasuke, ya know! Damn it, Naruto! Stop messing up my sentences!

Sasuke had an irritated expression on while Sakura glared at Ino. "Hey, pig. Get off of him!"

Ino smirked at her. "Oh? Sakura's here too?" She hugged Sasuke tighter. "I'm so sorry you have to put up with her, Sasuke..."

"Get off of him!" Sakura pushed Ino away, and they started yelling insults right away. They were talking so fast I could barely understand them.

Now I'm sad... She didn't even notice my presence... I feel like Sai... But she likes Sai, I think...

...

I'm pathetic..

"Hello, Kakashi." Asuma greeted. "Did you just finish testing them?" Kakashi-sensei nodded. "Did they pass?"

"Of course we did, ya know!" Naruto fist bumped the air.

"That's good. These guys passed too." Asuma gestured to Shikamaru and Chouji.

"Hi." I greeted.

"Hello." Shikamaru greeted back. "We met at the Academy, right?"

"Yeah, you were questioning why I was there." This small talk is making me hungry... "Anyway, what were you guys arguing about? I saw you guys over here having what seemed like a heated discussion."

Ino stopped arguing and rushed over to me. "Well..." Is this what you call bipolar? "Chouji here wanted to eat barbeque, while I wanted ramen!" So... It's just as I thought...

"I don't really care what we eat." Shikamaru shrugged.

"I'm just trying to calm these kids down." Asuma said to me.

Chouji just turned around in anger, not wanting to negotiate at all.

"Well, we were just getting ramen... But maybe we should go get barbeque. I'm just hungry, so I don't care where we go." I told them. "If Chouji really wants barbeque, then let's get barbeque today and ramen some other time, OK? It's better to just negotiate."

"Yeah, Jalen's right." I didn't ask you to agree, Sakura. "Come on, arguing over something like food is pointless. Only people like you would do it, Ino." Shut up, Sakura...

"Excuse me?!" Ino exclaimed. Uh-oh... "I just think eating barbeque is too fatty! I'm on a di... I mean..." Is every girl in this village on a diet?! "I'm just trying to help Chouji! He's going to be super fa-"

"What?!" Chouji glared at Ino. Uh-oh...

"Wha!" Shikamaru looked scared. He grabbed Chouji's wrist and led him away. "Jalen's right! Let's go eat barbeque!" I sweatdropped while Ino just sighed.

"So... No ramen?" Naruto asked. Did you not hear that whole conversation?

"Next time, OK?" Why do I feel so much older than everyone else? Well, I am older than Naruto, but I don't know about the rest. I think I'm older than Sasuke too... Speaking of Sasuke...

He just grunted and followed Team... 10? I think that's what they are.

"Well, let's have fun, kids." Kakashi-sensei smiled and walked to the barbeque place too. Sakura ran after Sasuke, leaving Naruto and I behind.

"Well?" I began to walk too. "You comin', Naruto?"

Naruto was silent for a moment, just having a blank look, before he smiled cheerfully and put his arm around my shoulder. "Of course! I'm starving!"

* * *

_**Well, I hoped everyone liked this. It might take longer to update now, since I'm going to be working on my other fics... So...**_

_**Please review and stuff! I love it when you guys do! Bye nii~!**_


	5. Chapter 5

**Naruto: The New Story**

Chapter 5

"This is Sasuke. Arrived at Point B."

"This is Sakura. Arrived at Point C."

"This is Jalen. Arrived at Point D."

...

"This is Naruto. Arrived at Point A, ya know."

"You're slow, Naruto. OK... 7th Unit..." Kakashi-sensei gasped. "The target has moved! After it!"

I jumped off the tree branch I was on and ran after the fast moving chakra. Well, chakra because I couldn't see the animal we were chasing. Well, cat.

And why do they need Ninja to chase cats? Is this what you call training? It's a waste of my time to be chasing a cat... Although I'm probably too weak to do anything else. Well, it's been a week since the Survival Training thing, and I've grown considerably stronger training with Naruto. I think I'm pass Sakura in strength, if not the same as her.

Anyway, as you might know already, we were on a mission to capture this cat. Is it a Ninja cat..? I don't even know...

So, I'm chasing it now, since I can sense the cat's chakra. Every animal has chakra, so this mission is kind of easy. Well, it would be easier if I was fast enough to keep up with the cat. All I can do is follow from a distance, since I can't get close enough. Maybe Naruto can... I'm pretty sure Kakashi-sensei can do it.

The cat stopped moving, hiding in a bush. I stopped and everyone behind me stopped. We all hid behind trees.

"The cat stopped moving. It's in that bush." I informed them, whispering into my transmission object thing. I have no idea what it's called...

We each got a little closer, hiding behind more trees as we ran up.

"What's the distance to the target?" Kakashi-sensei asked us. He wasn't with us, by the way. I do sense his chakra, though. He was talking to us through the transmission object thing.

"Five meters. I'm ready to go, ya know." Naruto answered.

"I am, too." Sasuke told us.

"Me, too." Sakura said.

"Yup." I was also ready to go, already sending chakra to my feet to run faster.

"OK..." Kakashi-sensei paused. "Go!"

We all jumped at the cat, it being out of the bush now.

Naruto grabbed it, falling on his butt as he did so. "I got it!" The cat was fighting back, though... Trying to escape again, eh?

"Does it have a ribbon on it's right ear? Is it our target, Tora?" Why don't you come and see, Sensei? The cat is practically mauling Naruto, now. I think seeing if it has a ribbon on it's ear is the last of our worries.

"It's the target for sure." You aren't even looking at it, Sasuke! Why don't we help Naruto, before he gets killed, ya know?

"OK. Operation Capture Tora The Lost Pet, complete." Kakashi-sensei told us. Phew... I was tired of this mission. Can we eat, now?

"ISN'T THERE A MORE EXCITING MISSION WE CAN WORK ON, YA KNOW?!"

"Gah!" I fell down, my ears probably bleeding from Naruto's outburst. I forgot about that... Ow, ow, ow... "Naruto..." I moaned. Wait... That doesn't sound right... "Don't ever do that again... I think you killed Sensei..."

Naruto grinned as he grabbed the cat by it's neck and we walked back to Kakashi-sensei. As I expected, he was on his knees, checking to see if his ears were bleeding.

"Kakashi-sensei... We're here." I said, sweatdropping.

"Oh, Hello team. I was just checking my ears for any bugs." He told us. "You know, those bugs are bad out here."

"LIAR!" Sakura yelled, pointing a finger at him. "Stop trying to act cool, Sensei! We know you were recuperating after Naruto's outburst." Wait... Did they not hear it? I don't remember them yelling or falling on the ground... Weird...

"OK, you guys. Let's return this cat to it's owner. She's waiting at the Hokage's office." Kakashi-sensei told us, before he started walking away. We all followed.

A few minutes later...

"Ohh, my cute Tora!" The lady hugged the cat, kissing all over it. That's... Disgusting. "I was so worried about you!" The cat looked like it was crying... Maybe we shouldn't have captured it. Well, the lady was the Wife of the County of Fire's Feudal Lord, so I guess it would be unwise to reject her request. Her name is Madam Shijimi, and as you know, the cat's name is Tora.

Naruto laughed. "That cat's getting what it deserves." He had scratch marks all on his face...

"No wonder he ran away..." Sakura said.

"How awful." I added. Now, I'm sure you guys are like... He's talking right in front of the Hokage, when he's from another world, and not even supposed to be on this team. Well, let me give you my hypothesis on what I think is going on.

I think... That during the Genin Teams thing, they saw how well I was with Naruto, and the Hokage told Kakashi-sensei and Iruka-sensei that I would be on Naruto's Team. I think... That they don't have info on every single person in the village, so they just think I'm some random orphan living with him. That's why they aren't suspicious of me suddenly being friends with Naruto... And I think the reason I'm on the same group without even going to the Academy is because Iruka-sensei sensed chakra in me that's different from a regular citizen. So Kakashi-sensei was probably testing how well I work with Naruto and my skills during the Survive Training thing. Heh... This is a nice prediction, if I do say so myself.

"Now then, Kakashi's 7th unit's next mission is..." The Hokage paused. Another mission?! "Babysitting Yojyu's boy... Grocery shopping at the neighboring town... Helping dig up potatoes at..."

"No!" Naruto screamed. "No thanks to all of those!" Thank you, Naruto! "I want to do a more exciting mission! Choose something else!"

"I agree, Lord Hokage." I added in. "Can you even call these things missions? Regular people could do this."

Sakura looked annoyed at us as usual, but I don't care. What can she do? Sasuke just had on a blank expression. Kakashi-sensei just looked tired.

"Idiot!" Iruka-sensei slammed his hands on the table. I... Did not notice him sitting by the Hokage. "You're still a novice Ninja! Everyone needs to start with the easy missions to gain experience!"

"But, but...!" Naruto started to argue. "We've only been doing dumb missions lately, ya-!"

Kakashi-sensei punched Naruto in the head to shut him up. "Cut it out."

"Naruto." The Hokage called out to him. Uh... I think he's unconscious... "It looks like I need to explain to you what missions are." Naruto got up, holding his bruised head. "Listen. A lot of clients come to this village everyday. They request things from babysitting to assassination." Oh my... "On the request list, a variety of request are listed on it... And they are separated into rank and D according to difficulty. In this village, we separate the people into Jounin, Chuunin, and Genin according to their abilities."

"But Naruto knows a Jounin level technique, the Shadow Replication." I told him. "Shouldn't he be a Jounin then?"

"It's not that simple. But you'll learn about that later." The Hokage told me. "Now, as I was saying. We higher officials assign the missions to Ninja with the appropriate abilities. And if we complete the mission, we receive a fee from the client." And just as he said that, that lady with the cat gave money to one of the aids in this office. "You have all become Genin just recently, so D rank missions are best for you." He opened a scroll, showing us all the D rank missions. Wait... Herb collecting? That doesn't seem to hard... Even for a Ninja! This is regular people work!

"I had tonkotsu ramen yesterday, so I'm going to eat miso ramen today." Naruto told us, completely ignoring the Hokage. Even Kakashi-sensei seems into this conversation. Why am I the only one listening to him?!

"Listen!" The Hokage hollered at us.

"I am sorry." Kakashi-sensei apologized, wiping the back of his head. How professional...

"You always lecture me like that, pops." Why are you sitting on the floor, Naruto? "But I'm not the kid who used to pull pranks anymore!" He turned around and pouted. Is... Am I dreaming all of this?

Kakashi-sensei just sighed as he scratched the back of his head sheepishly. Iruka-sensei smiled, and The Hokage chuckled.

"OK, I understand." Giving in just because Naruto is pouting? What?! This actually surprised me, and everyone else in the room. So I guess today is the day we get our Waves mission. "If you insist..." The Hokage was smirking. "I will allow you to take on a C ranked mission. It's to escort a certain someone."

"Are we escorting a little kid to his house?" I sighed. "This better not disappoint us."

Kakashi-sensei smacked me on the head. Ow! "Be respectful."

"Who is it, who is it?!" Naruto wasn't pouting anymore, he was totally excited now. "Is it a Feudal Lord?! A princess?!"

"Don't get so hasty." The Hokage told Naruto. "I'll introduce him now." He began to shout at nothing or no one in particular. "Can you please come in now?"

We all turned around to see who it was. I always think... Because I'm here that I'm going to mess up the plot. So I'm probably going to get surprised or not know some things. I'm also going to want to know the most obvious things... Just to make sure, ya know. I... Hope you all understand.

The door slowly opened, and the first thing I saw was a beer bottle. The second thing I saw was a dirty old man... "What? They're all kids?" The man started to drink the beer, and I could smell the alcohol coming from him. Disgusting, is my first impression of... Tazuna? I think that's his name. "Hey, is the smallest one there with the idiotic face really a Ninja?" Naruto, make him cry. Hurt his feelings and send him crying back to his village to get killed.

But... Naruto just laughed. "Ahaha! Who's the smallest one with the idiotic face?" By the way, I'm a little taller than Naruto. And I don't look like an idiot. It seems Naruto registered that, and sprung at the man. Kakashi-sensei had to hold him back. "I'm going to kill you! I'm going to kill you! I'm going to kill you! I'm going to kill you!"

"Don't kill the man your supposed to escort, idiot." Kakashi-sensei sighed.

Tazuna drunk some more beer, then looked directly at us. "I am the bridge building expert, Tazuna." Yay! I got his name right! "Once I have returned to my country, I will have all of you protect my life with your own while I complete the bridge." I'm most definitely not dieing for you, Tazuna. So don't expect me to bend over backwards... Mostly because I can't do that.

"OK, kids. Go pack up for this mission." Kakashi-sensei told us, clapping his hands. "We're going to be away from the village for a while. So pack up for at least two weeks."

"Yes, Sensei!" We all said, then ran off to our homes.

"Meet up at the Village Gate when you're finished!" Kakashi-sensei yelled after us.

It took a lot to catch up with Naruto, but after I got close enough to him we were already in front of his house.

"Come on, come on, let's hurry and pack up!" Naruto jumped up and down, opening the door to his house. His energy is limitless...

I panted as I walked in the house, sweat already forming. Am I really this out of shape? Or is it that Naruto is just... Un-normal.

He was already piling up this gray bookbag up with his clothes. Where did that come from? Anyway, I still don't have any clothes, just the clothes I came here with. So, I usually wear Naruto's jacket, but not zipped up like he wears it. He had a black T-shirt for me to wear, so I wear that too. I still wear my blue pants, though.

"Don't worry! I put some clothes for you in here, too!" Naruto told me as he ran by, going into the restroom. I guess he was getting our toothbrushes.

After we were done packing, we ran outside. I was the one to close the door, though. Since Naruto was too excited, he forgot.

I am going to miss sleeping in a bed for a while, though. I'm not going to miss practically cuddling in the bed with Naruto, though. Hopefully, we all come back alive. I still don't know how me being here will influence the story.

"All right! Let's go!" Naruto exclaimed as everyone showed up. Sakura had her pink bag on, Sasuke had on a bookbag, and so did Kakashi-sensei. Even Tazuna had a bag... I feel so... Out of place here.

"What are you all excited for?" Sakura asked, her attitude showing faster than expected.

"Because I've never gone outside the village before." Naruto answered, looking around. I guess I'm excited too, since I never left the village either. I'm not even from this world!

"Hey, will a little kid like this really be capable for this mission?" Tazuna asked.

"You hired us, sir." I told him, getting irritated pretty fast. "If you keep dissing him, I'm sure he won't protect you as good as he's capable."

Kakashi-sensei laughed. "Respect~, Jalen." He's not really respecting us. "And don't worry, Tazuna. I, a Jounin, will be accompanying also. There's no need to worry."

Naruto turned around and pointed at the client. "Hey, geezer, don't underestimate Ninja! I'm a great Ninja!"

"I am the elite Ninja who will receive the title of Hokage one day. The name is Uzumaki Naruto! Remember it!"

The client took another swig of his beer... How much is in that bottle?! "The Hokage is the village's number one Ninja, right? I don't think a guy like you can become one."

"Shut up!" Naruto screamed, clearly pissed off. "I'm willing to go through any hardship to become a Hokage! _If _I become a Hokage, you'll have to take notice of me!"

Tazuna grunted. "I won't, kid. Even if you do become Hokage, that is."

Naruto couldn't take anymore, he tried to attack him again, but Kakashi-sensei held him back... Again. "I'm going to kill you!"

"Stop it, stupid."

"Hey, drunk old man with the bad smell." I spat out, pissed off now. "Why don't you get someone else to escort and protect you, because you're really pissin' me off. Naruto hasn't done anything to you, but you just insist on talking about him..."

"Jalen, sto-"

"And then you think you can just walk all over Naruto's dream? You really make me sick. If I hear you say one more thing about _any _of our dreams, I'll be the one to kill you."

"Oh? Do you want to be Hokage too?" Tazuna turned away, disinterested. "I bet this whole group wants to be Hokage, right? How laughable."

That's it. Naruto and I tried to kill him again, Kakashi-sensei holding me back now. I already had a kunai out, ready to gut the man.

"I'll Kill you! I'll kill you! I'll kill you! I'll kill you!" Naruto and I screamed, trying to get out of Kakashi-sensei's grasp.

"Stop it, you idiots!" Kakashi-sensei punched both of us in the head, knocking us on the floor. I barely sensed the two chakra levels coming from the trees above us. I just thought they were Konoha Ninja, since we were right in front of the gate. They didn't seem nice, though...

...

"Hey, Tazuna..." Sakura began to talk.

"What is it?"

"You're from the Country of the Wave, right?"

"What about it?"

"Hey, Kakashi-sensei, are their also Ninja in that country?" How are you going to just stop a conversation so suddenly like that?! That makes no sense! And I'm tired of Tazuna's attitude! It makes me want to turn around and smack him in the face.

"No. There are no Ninja in the Country of the Wave." Kakashi-sensei answered. "But while the culture and customs of other countries may be different, hidden villages and Ninja do exist."

Ugh... Now Kakashi-sensei is making a super long speech... I'm definitely not listening. I probably know it already, and it would just be a waste. Ignore time...

"Wow, so Lord Hokage must be an amazing man!" Sakura exclaimed after Kakashi-sensei finished talking.

Not really... I think Kakashi-sensei could kill The Hokage if he wanted...

"Hey." Kakashi-sensei called out to us. "You all just doubted Lord Hokage, didn't you?"

We all froze, then quickly shook our heads. "No, no..." Well, Naruto, Sakura, and I did... As usual. Sasuke's just being his silent, boring self.

Kakashi-sensei patted Sakura's head. "Don't worry, we won't have any Ninja battles on a C rank mission."

"Then there's no worry about meeting a foreign Ninja." Sakura smiled.

"Of course." Kakashi-sensei laughed. I glanced at the old man, who just looked guilty. Tsk... He makes me sick.

We were now crossing a bridge, no one talking. Naruto and I were in front, while everyone else was behind us. Just walking... Walking... Walking... No talking... No talking... No talking...

Hi Mr. Tree. Hi bushes. Hi random puddle that shouldn't be here because it hasn't rained since I got here. Hi ground.

I suddenly sensed the same chakra that I sensed a while ago... Right behind us. I glanced up at Kakashi-sensei, but he just smiled back...What?

Suddenly, chains with spikes wrapped around Kakashi-sensei. He genuinely looked surprised. I was trying to warn you earlier, dolt! I swiftly turned around, and saw two Ninja in black holding the chain.

"What?" Everyone exclaimed, except me. I knew this would happen sooner or later.

"First one!" The two Ninja pulled the chain. Kakashi-sensei gasped as he was literally torn apart. His remains fell on the ground... It was... Grotesque...

"Ahh!" Sakura screamed, looking horrified.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto yelled, looking terrified too. The two Ninja were right behind him the second he said that, though.

"Second one." They mumbled, the chain right above Naruto, about to kill him too. OK, now I'm kind of scared.

I swiftly threw two shuriken at them, while Sasuke jumped up and threw his own shuriken at the chain, then threw a kunai to make the chain get stuck to the tree behind them. They dodged my shuriken by the way, but at least we saved Naruto.

"It won't come out." One of the Ninja growled, trying to pull the chain from the tree. Naruto, now's your chance to use Shadow Replication and destroy them! Don't just stand there!

Sasuke landed on the enemy's gauntlet on their hands, and kicked both of them in the face. The chain came loose from their gauntlet, and they used that opportunity to run towards the client and Naruto. Did that kick not affect them?!

"Protect the client!" I ordered Sakura as I ran towards Naruto. As if I'll let that Ninja kill him!

"Stay back, mister!" Sakura yelled as she stood in front of Tazuna, a kunai in hand. Good girl.

I tackled Naruto to the ground, making the Ninja miss his attack towards him. Sasuke stood in front of Sakura, protecting her.

I felt familiar chakra, and looked up to see Kakashi-sensei holding both the Ninja by their necks. It took you long enough!

"Hey." Kakashi-sensei greeted. Sakura looked happy, Sasuke looked... Annoyed? I don't know... I think he's pouting. And Naruto just looked at him in shock. I probably looked tired.

I got off the ground, and helped Naruto up too. Naruto looked at Kakashi-sensei's "remains"... They were actually a cut up log. Replacement Technique, eh.

"Naruto, sorry for not helping out right away." Kakashi-sensei apologized. "But it seems like Jalen had you covered. Good job, by the way, Jalen." He walked over to Sasuke, Sakura, and Tazuna. "You too, Sasuke." He looked at Sakura, who was still smiling. "Nice work, Sakura."

"Hey." Sasuke called out to Naruto, who was probably super embarrassed. "Are you hurt... Mr. Scaredy Cat."

Naruto just stared at Sasuke for a while, then his face scrunched up in anger. "Sasuke!"

"Naruto!" Kakashi-sensei yelled, causing Naruto to stop moving. "There's poison on these guys' nails. We need to take out the poison right away."

I gasped. And looked at Naruto's hand, which had a cut on it. When did that happen?! I could have sworn I saved him in time! What the heck?!

"We have to open up your wound and leech out the poisoned blood." Naruto looked at his cut in horror. It was really bleeding...

"I'm so sorry!" I quickly apologized. "I sensed them a while ago, but I thought they were Konoha Ninja! And I... I was trying to warn you about how weird that puddle was, and I sensed them come out of the puddle, and I didn't make it in time to save Naruto, and... And..!"

"That's enough." Kakashi-sensei stopped me. "You didn't know they were the enemy, you didn't know they would attack us. And you actually saved Naruto's life... If you weren't there they would have cut deeper and he would really be in danger of dying!" But I did know.. I did know...

"Jalen..." Naruto hugged me from behind. "Thank you."

I didn't know what to do, sense it was so sudden... So I just looked down and tried to hold back tears.

"Don't move that much, or the poison will spread through your body." Kakashi-sensei warned. "By the way, Tazuna." The moment of truth...

"W-what is it?" Tazuna asked.

Kakashi-sensei looked back at him. "I need to talk to you."

Kakashi-sensei tied them up to a tree and began to inform us. "These guys are Chuunin-class Ninja from the Hidden Village of Mist." So that's why they didn't kill us immediately. "They are Ninja known to keep fighting no matter the cost." How brutal...

"How were you able to detect our action?" One of them asked.

"It hasn't rained for the past few days, and it's sunny today, so a water puddle shouldn't exist." Kakashi-sensei answered.

"Why did you let the kids fight when you knew that?" Tazuna asked.

"If I was up to it, I could have killed these guys in the blink of an eye." Kakashi-sensei replied. "But..." His expression darkened. "I needed to know who the target for these two was."

"What do you mean?" Tazuna asked. It's self explanatory.

"In other words, were you being targeted, or someone from our Ninja group?" Kakashi-sensei answered. "We have not heard anything about you being targeted by Ninja. Your request was to be protected from armed groups like gangs and robbers." Tazuna was trying to get us killed! "This is a mission that's above a B rank. Our job was to support and guard you until you completed the bridge." Kakashi-sensei glared. "If Ninja are our enemy, this mission would have been an expensive B rank. It looks like you have your reasons, but it only troubles us if you lie in your request details. This wasn't part of our mission."

"This mission is out of our league." Then why are you smiling, Sakura? "Let's quit." Quiter. "We need anesthesia to take out the poisoned blood out of Naruto, too. We need to go back to the village and see a doctor!"

"This sure is a burden..." Kakashi-sensei sighed. "Let's go back to the village to cure Naruto."

Naruto growled, grabbed a kunai, and stabbed his poisoned hand.

"Naruto!" I yelled. "What is wrong with you!"

Naruto turned away from me. "Why am I so different... Why am I always..." Blood was spilling out of his hand. "Damn it!"

Sakura ran up to us. "Naruto, what's the matter with you?!"

"I should be stronger... I've accomplished lots of missions and I've practiced techniques everyday!" ...We have been practicing every day... That's why I'm an acceptable Genin now... "I'm never going to do something that will require someone to help me..." Naruto, that's... "I'm never going to be frightened and back out of things! I'm not going to lose to Sasuke... I vow that to this pain in my left hand, ya know!" Naruto... "I'm going to protect the old man with this kunai!" Naruto turned to us and grinned, the kunai still in his hand. "The mission is still on!"

"Naruto... It's nice that you took out the poisoned blood so spiritedly..." Kakashi-sensei spoke slowly. "But your gonna die from blood loss if you lose anymore blood."

"Ahhh!" I yelled as I grabbed the kunai from his hand and tossed it away. Naruto just stood there, looking sick. Stop the blood, idiot!

"It's not good if you don't stop it right away. Seriously." Kakashi-sensei smiled.

"Aaahhh!" Naruto yelled, shaking his bleeding hand. "This is not good! I can't die like this, ya know! No no no no no no no no no!"

"Show me your hand." Kakashi-sensei calmly ordered.

"No! Help me!" Naruto kept running around, afraid of dying.

"Naruto, you have a self-abusing personality." Sakura scolded. "That's called masochism, you know." Go. To. Hell. Sakura.

Kakashi-sensei grabbed Naruto's hand and observed it. It... Was healing itself. The Kyuubi is actually a help.

"Um, um..." Naruto's voice was quiet. "Am I... OK? You have a serious look on your face." Naruto was shaking, terrified.

Kakashi-sensei took out bandages from nowhere and wrapped it around Naruto's hand. "It's going to be alright, Naruto." Kakashi-sensei stood up and started to walk. "OK, team. We're continuing the mission."

I smiled, and put my arm around Naruto's shoulder. "Come on, let's go, Naruto."

Naruto slightly grinned, still shooken up. "OK. Let's go, ya know!"

_**I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter! Um, review and stuff! Next chapter we meet... Zabuza! **_


	6. Chapter 6

**Naruto: The New Story **

Chapter 6

"This mist is so thick. I can't see what's ahead." Sakura whispered.

After the ordeal with Naruto, we met up with some man that said he would take us to The Wave Country. I guess this was all set up, cause I wouldn't get in no boat when we just got almost got assassinated.

We were now almost there, riding on a boat through the mist. Kakashi-sensei told me to tell him if I sense anyone at all. So, I can't talk much, because I need to keep all my energy on sensing.

Naruto was sitting up front, just looking ahead. I wonder what he's doing...

"We should be able to see the bridge soon." The man rowing the boat told us. "If we move along the side of the bridge, we'll be at The Country of the Wave."

After a while, I saw some construction sites. I guess we're here.

"It's huge!" Naruto exclaimed. Yeah, I guess so.

"Hey, be quiet!" The man demanded. So... You aren't supposed to be taking us here? "We're using the boat and hiding in the mist! That's why I'm rowing instead of using the engine. In other words, if we get caught, we'll be in trouble."

Everyone looked surprised, especially Sakura, but Kakashi-sensei just looked sick. He was probably expecting Naruto to do that sooner or later...

Wait... Is it night? The mist makes the sky look grey... So I can't really tell... I'm starting to want to take a shower, now. I just have this thing that just makes me take a shower EVERY night, even if I stayed home all day. I hate it when people be like, "Oh! You're a boy, so you shouldn't take a shower before you go to bed!" That's just saying, boys can be smelly, so it doesn't matter. GAH! I HATE THAT SO FRICKEN MUCH! I hope no one here does that, except maybe Naruto, sense he's a boy himself and I think I can force him to take a shower.

Anyway, I just got off track there... What's going on again? What are they talking about... I'm so confused.

Everyone's looking at Tazuna like their waiting for something, I guess I'll just do the same.

"It looks like I have to tell you the real story." Tazuna looked down. "I mean, I would like for you to hear my story." Oh no, don't tell me he's going to try to guilt trip his way out. "As you said, this mission is most likely out of your job description." Wait, are we paying the man rowing the boat? Oh, sorry. Off track. "An extremely terrible man is after my life."

"An extremely terrible man?" Kakashi-sensei asked. Tazuna nodded. "Who is it?"

"You should all at least have heard of the name..." I have~! "Marine transportation billionaire Gatoh." I thought he was gonna say Zabuza... Oops...

Kakashi-sensei looked surprised. "Gatoh? You mean the one from the Gatoh Company?" So, does everyone know everyone in Naruto, or what? "He's one of the richest men in this world."

"Who's that? What?" Naruto asked, suddenly surprised. You didn't need to add that extra 'what', though.

"Yes. He is the President of a Marine Transportation Company on the outside..." Tazuna answered. "But underground, he uses gangs and Ninja to smuggle drugs and contraband goods." They have drugs in the Naruto world? Oh God... "He also does nasty jobs like takeovers of other companies and countries." Wait, no. Imagine a super talented Ninja on drugs... That would be horrific. "A year ago, he set his sights on the Country of the Waves. He entered this Country using violence and wealth as his shield, and he quickly took over the island's sea traffic and transportation." You should have called us sooner. It must have been hard getting here, huh? How sad... "On an island like the Country of the Wave, controlling the sea means ruling over the wealth, politics, and people of the island." Pretty pathetic, if I say so myself. But... Whatever. "But the one thing that Gatoh is afraid of... Is the completion of the bridge that has been under construction for quite some time."

"I see, so you, the one building the bridge, has become an obstacle to him." Sakura summarized. Kinda.

"Then, those Ninja were sent by Gatoh." Sasuke put the pieces together.

Naruto, looking surprised and a little confused, just started thinking. I was still trying to sense any dangerous chakra, so I didn't say anything.

"But I don't understand. He's a dangerous man that uses Ninja. Why did you hide that fact when you came to us?" Kakashi-sensei asked. Isn't it obvious, he has no money for any strong Ninja!

"The Country of the Wave is a really poor country." Tazuna looked really sad. "Even the Feudal Lord doesn't have much money. And we do not have much either." Yep. "We don't have the money to request for an expensive B rank mission or higher."

"I think something like this should be an exception. Your country is literally being taken over." I blurted out, by accident. "I think The Hidden Leaf Village should have been helped you guys, maybe they would have if you would have told the truth."

"I didn't think that could ever happen..." Tazuna was becoming... Depressing. "I had to do this, to have at least some chance of completing the bridge." He looked up at us. "If you quit your mission after I land, I'll be killed for sure... While I go home." When he says it like that... "But there's no need for you to blame yourselves. Only my cute eight year old grandson will CRY and CRY and CRY some more."

"What..." Sakura, Naruto, and I looked sick. Just thinking about leaving him to literally walk to his death...

"And my daughter will just hold a grudge against Konoha Ninja and live a sad and lonely life." Why are you yelling..? "But, it's not your fault."

All of us looked at each other while Kakashi-sensei just tapped on his headband, looking guilty.

"Well, I guess it can't be helped. We will continue escorting you." Kakashi-sensei smiled, sweat rolling down his face.

"Oh?! That's good to hear!" Tazuna exclaimed. God... I kinda loath him..

"We're almost there." The man rowing the boat informed us. "Tazuna, it looks like we haven't been noticed yet." Wait... Is he from their village?!

"Thanks." Are you thanking God, Tazuna? Or are you thanking the man for rowing us here?

We rowed into a tunnel, light shining from the other end. Is the village there? Most likely... I couldn't help to stare in amazement, though, just like Naruto was doing. Sakura was too, and of course Sasuke was just staring at it. How... Boring.

Naruto gasped as he saw the... Place. I can't really explain it, but it kind of reminds me of a place from my world; Florida. I could hear birds chirping, and the water seemed way cleaner than what I saw in my world. There were trees sticking out from the water, and many houses. I could feel plenty of low level chakra, so I guess this is the village. It's way more beautiful than what you see in the Anime.

But, as we got off the boat, I realized the houses were like big sheds. They did need more work on them...

"This is as far as I go. Later." The man said. Are you scared of the sun?

"Sure. Thanks a lot." Tazuna looked back at the man.

"Be careful." The man warned, starting up the engine to the boat and speeding off. Eh... Well, I guess they aren't trying to kill him, so it doesn't matter if he uses the engine. But, still...

"All right. Take me home safely." Tazuna ordered. Wait... This isn't your village? Well, we haven't met Zabuza yet, so...

"Okay." Kakashi-sensei sighed, all of us walking again. No one really said anything, and before I knew it we made it to some sort of forest. There was still a trail to follow, though. So I'm sure we won't get lost.

Suddenly, Naruto ran up ahead, looking around the area we were in. Naruto, calm down. If there were anybody near us, I would have sensed them. Sheesh.

"There!" Naruto threw a kunai at a bush.

Everyone looked surprised, except Sasuke and I.

"Oh. Just a mouse." Naruto smirked, trying to look cool. I laughed. Sakura didn't see anything funny.

"Stop showing off! There was nothing there!" Sakura yelled.

"Please, Naruto, don't use your throwing knives so abusively!" Kakashi-sensei tried to calm Naruto down, which made me laugh even harder. Gosh... This is hilarious! "It's dangerous in the first place!"

"HEY, YOU DWARF! DON'T SCARE US!" Tazuna raged, anger marks all over his face. Dwarf? Naruto? Maybe...

"I think I see someone hiding over there!" Naruto ignored all of us. "No, is he over there?" I sense someone... Someone strong with bad chakra... "Over there!" Naruto threw another kunai at another bush.

"I told you to stop!" Sakura walked over to Naruto and punched him in the head.

"But, I really did sense someone, ya know." Naruto clutched his head, looking at Sakura in pain.

"Liar! Cut it out!" Sakura shouted. Hey, bitch, shut up.

Kakashi-sensei looked over to where Naruto threw the kunai at, and there it was, a rabbit.

"Naruto, look what you've done!" Sakura yelled again. Naruto just looked at the rabbit with boredom. Then became shocked.

"Ack! Rabbit!" Naruto ran over to the rabbit. The rabbit didn't get hit by the kunai, but it almost did. Naruto picked up the rabbit and started to cuddle with it. "I'm sorry, rabbit. I didn't mean it. Sorry, rabbit!"

"Kakashi-sensei..." I whispered to him. "Someone really is here..."

"I know." He muttered. He was silent for a while, probably thinking, then looked up to the tree. I followed his gaze, and saw a man standing in the trees, a little hidden. So, Naruto really did sense him, and Zabuza must have used the Replacement Technique to get away. Naruto... You really are something...

I immediately sped-walked to Tazuna and grabbed his arm. "Stay calm. Don't say anything, just go along with it." I ordered, looking deathly serious.

He just nodded, sweat rolling down his face. It's about to start...

"Everyone, duck!" Kakashi-sensei ordered, as a giant sword came from the trees like some sort of shuriken. It was going to de-head us!

I pushed Tazuna on the ground, and jumped down too, just barely dodging that attack. Everyone else did, too. The bunny ran out of Naruto's hands, stupid animal...

The sword got stuck in a tree, and Zabuza appeared on top of it. What an entrance...

Everyone got up, including me, and I looked looked around. Naruto looked nervous, Sasuke looked surprised, and Sakura looked scared. Tazuna... I don't care about him...

"Oh, my, my, you are Momochi Zabuza, the exiled Ninja of The Hidden Village of Mist." Stop acting so carefree, Kakashi-sensei! Naruto tried to charge at Zabuza, but Kakashi-sensei stopped him. "You're in the way. Step back, everyone."

Naruto, you never, ever do that! A man standing on top of a giant sword is looking down at us, and you run towards him?! That's hoping for a death wish!

"Why?!" Naruto yelled, ignorantly.

"Because Kakashi-sensei said so, so stand back, Naruto!" I yelled. I didn't have time for Naruto's idiocy. This is a life or death situation, ya know. Even if they escape in the Anime, anything could happen!

Kakashi-sensei grabbed his headband. He's about to take it off already?! I... I really want to see the sharingan so bad! I'm getting excited.

"I'm guessing you are Kakashi the Sharingan user." Zabuza's voice... So... Evil... "I'm sorry, but I need you to hand over the geezer."

"Everyone, form the swastika formation! Protect Tazuna." Kakashi-sensei ordered. Ooh! This formation is when they all get around Tazuna and I, and I stand in front of Tazuna, kunai in hand.

"What?!" Sakura exclaimed. Stupid girl...

"To not interfere with the battle is teamwork." Kakashi-sensei pulled his mask up, revealing his eye. I couldn't see it, since I was behind him, but I can only imagine what it looks like... "Fight me..."

Aww man... Naruto's looking at it. Darn, I need to resist the urge to run up and look.

"I'm honored that I can see the Sharingan that I've heard about." Zabuza, Shut up.

"You guys have been saying Sharingan, but what is it?!" Naruto demanded to know.

"Sharingan... The eye creates it, and it is the power that the eye generates." Sasuke explained. "Ones who use doujutsu are said to have eye powers that can see through all genjutsu, taijutsu, and ninjutsu, and cancel their affects." Doujutsu directly translates to eye technique, by the way. "Sharingan is one of the various types of eyes that those doujutsu users possess. But, that's not the only ability the Sharingan possesses... "

"Correct. That isn't it..." Zabuza said. His voice... Gah! So evil! "The scary part is that Sharingan can understand how an opponent's technique works, and copy it." Mist started to appear from nowhere... What is going on?! Now, I'm kinda scared... "When I was in the Hidden Village of the Mist's assassination squad... Your information was listed in the bingo book I carried asking for your capture." Stalker, much? "It also noted this... The Man Who Copied More Than 1,000 Techniques, Kakashi The Copy Ninja." Better be interested in his page in the book, Zabuza.

Sakura looked surprised, probably thinking Kakashi-sensei was just a regular Jounin. How foolish...

"Wow, ya know!" Naruto exclaimed. Naruto, this is no time to be impressed! We might get killed, ya know!

Sasuke just stared at Kakashi-sensei, probably wondering how he has the Sharingan when he's not from the Uchiha Clan.

"Let's cut the chit-chat here." Uh-oh... "I have to kill that geezer right away!"

Tazuna gasped, while we got in swastika formation, protecting him. We all had kunai in our hands, which was awesome! Even Naruto looked serious, now! I'm getting more excited!

"But, Kakashi, it seems I have to defeat you first." Zabuza's voice seemed to not be so evil, now. It must just change a lot. Zabuza grabbed his sword from the tree and disappeared.

I immediately sensed around us, and easily found him, standing on top of the water. "He's over there!"

"And he's on top of the water?" Sakura looked surprised.

Zabuza put up the tiger seal in both of his hands and did some type of stance. Chakra was flowing all around him, making the water surround him like a tornado. "Mist concealment."

And... He's gone. And I'm scared.

"He disappeared." Sakura stated. Kakashi-sensei started walking up ahead. "Sensei!"

"He'll try to eliminate me first, but..." Kakashi-sensei started.

"What is he?!" Sakura asked.

"A human being, of course." I deadpanned. "He's just super strong and super talented. Stop asking so many questions and try to find him!"

"Yes. Listen to Jalen, OK guys. I might not be able to navigate you guys through this fight, so do whatever he says, alright." Kakashi-sensei ordered. Aww, man... I don't need their lives on my hands...

"Yes, Sensei!" They all nodded. I sighed.

"Anyway, I'll tell you a little about him to warn you." Kakashi-sensei told us. "Momochi Zabuza, is his name. He was in the Hidden Village of Mist's ANBU, and was known for his 'silent killing' techniques."

"Silent..?" Naruto...

"Just as the name implies, it's a killing technique that's executed in a flash and carried out in absolute silence." Kakashi-sensei explained. "It's possible that you'll be dead before you realize it." Don't scare us like that, Sensei... "And I cannot use my Sharingan to it's fullest potential. So don't let your guard down." Good way on keeping us mentally prepared, Sensei. "But if you fail, you're only going to die." ONLY?! God, I'm resisting the urge to yell so much!

"You're so carefree!" Sakura yelled, instead.

After that it was silent... And I guess the mist was getting thicker...

"The mist is getting thicker, ya know!" Naruto exclaimed.

"Naruto, please don't talk. We really just need to stay silent and listen." I told him. Clutching my kunai harder. Man, I'm scared...

"The Country of the Mist is surrounded by the ocean, so a mist often emerges." Tazuna explained. What did I just say..?

"Sensei!" Sakura yelled. He's... I can't even sense him...

"I can sense him, he's still with us!" I told them, just to keep them calm. To be honest, I was too scared to sense anything... This, this is too much...

"Eight points."

"What... What was that?!" Sakura, shut up!

"The larynx, spine, lungs, liver, jugular vein, collarbone, kidney, and heart. Now, which vital organ do you want to get struck at?"

I forgot he does that... Creepy as hell...

But, now I'm shaking. I'm really terrified, now.

Suddenly, a bunch of chakra swept through the area, making all the mist go away! It was Kakashi-sensei, it was his chakra! Woohoo, I'm not dead, either!

I stopped shaking, and I could now sense Kakashi-sensei's chakra all around his body. I still couldn't sense Zabuza, though. He must be hiding his chakra... If only I was talented in this, like Karin. I could have still sensed him...

Wait! Maybe if I do a tiger seal and concentrate, I can sense better! It's worth a try, in this situation...

I put my hand in a tiger seal, and closed my eyes. I started to concentrate, and I could sense everyone's chakra even better! OK, now concentrate more... More... More..!

"Behind us!" I yelled as I turned around. I clutched my kunai harder and gasped as I saw Zabuza, looking down with his giant sword right in front of Tazuna, which meant he was **right **in front of me. "Everyone jump back, now!" I can't be scared, I have to kill him! This is bad, because everyone just seemed to just realize he was there!

Everyone jumped away (well, Naruto and Sakura jumped on the ground), except Tazuna who just stepped back some, and I jabbed my kunai for his chest. I can tell he was surprised, because he gave me that look which meant, "You are either fast, or knew I was coming!"

And... OMG, the kunai connected! It was jabbed into his chest, just like I wanted it too!

I smirked, but frowned when I realized blood wasn't coming out. Water was...

"J-Jalen! Behind you!" Naruto warned me. But, I couldn't move, I was too scared to look death in the eye...

For some reason, I was pushed to the ground, and I turned around then. What I saw was... Unnecessary.

Kakashi-sensei pushed me on the ground, and got cut in half by Zabuza. Did this happen in the Anime?! I think so, but... It just looks too real! Kakashi-sensei isn't dead, hopefully, and it's just a log or something! Right?! Right?!

Blood, no... Water?! Water! Kakashi-sensei used a water clone, just like how Zabuza did!

Zabuza looked surprised, probably because he knew he was about to get his ass kicked. I grinned, but scooted back a little, since I didn't want to be too close to him. I was still on the ground, if you didn't know.

Kakashi-sensei was behind Zabuza now, a kunai to his neck. "Don't move."

Now that I'm looking at Kakashi-sensei from the front now, I can see his Sharingan! It's... It's awesome. It's not the Mangekyou Sharingan, but it still looked amazing!

"This is the end." Kill him! Kill him now! Hurry up and do it!

Wait, but I know Kakashi-sensei isn't going to kill him now, since he somehow gets away. This is only the first fight, when there's a second one...

...

Damn.


	7. Chapter 7

**Naruto: The New Story **

Chapter 7

Everyone stared wide-eyed at the scene before them. Well, us. Kakashi-sensei held a kunai to Zabuza's neck, ready to kill him at any moment.

"Wow!" Naruto yelled in amazement. What. The. Hell. Well, I guess they would act like this, since they think the battle is over. Even Sakura was smiling. Not for long, though.

Zabuza laughed. "Is this the end?" His voice is evil again... "You don't understand. You can't defeat me with just your indiscriminate imitations. I can assure you that." Big words coming from someone with a knife at their throat. Zabuza laughed again. "But, you're pretty good. I see that you copied my water clone technique when you said, 'I won't let anyone on my team die'." I... Wasn't listening when he said that. I was trying too hard to sense Zabuza. "By making your clone speak as if it was the real one, you diverted my attention to the clone... While the real one used the mist concealment technique to hide and observe my movements." There was a long pause of suspense... "However..." There... Another Zabuza suddenly appeared behind Kakashi-sensei! "I'm not that easy to defeat!"

The Zabuza in front of Kakashi-sensei turned into water; a water clone.

"That one's a fake, too!" Naruto yelled.

Zabuza swung his sword at Kakashi-sensei's head, but he ducked, the sword missing his head by inches! The sword was swung with so much force, that it was pushed in the ground, but Zabuza used this chance to spin and kick Kakashi-sensei, sending him flying! Zabuza then grabbed the sword and charged at Kakashi-sensei's falling body, but stopped halfway. I... Think there were traps or something, I forgot...

Kakashi-sensei fell in the water, with Zabuza jumping on top of the water.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto yelled out.

"His hand-to-hand combat skill is superb, too." Sasuke noted.

Uh-oh... Isn't this the scene where...

Kakashi-sensei's head came out the water, his hair a mess. Wow, he's in a life or death situation, and I'm talking about his hair being wet... I'm so stupid.

"Get out the water, Kakashi-sensei!" I yelled, suddenly fearing for his life, and mine. I don't care if I change the story that much, but I have to save him!

Kakashi-sensei heard me too late, though, because Zabuza was right behind him in the blink of an eye doing hand signs.

"Idiot." Zabuza insulted Kakashi-sensei as he finished. "The Hydro Prison Technique."

"Shoot!" Kakashi-sensei exclaimed as he tried to get out the water in time, but it was too late. He was now trapped in a sphere of water... And we're dead. I know the somehow survive in the Anime, but with me being here I don't know how it's going to affect the story, and I'm not feeling very optimistic.

Zabuza chuckled. "You fell for it. This is a special prison that you can't escape from. You give me a hard time when you're moving." So you trap him in a sphere of water? Makes sense. "Now then, Kakashi... I'm going to finish you off later." He turned to us. "First, I'm going to get rid of them." Ya know, it would be better for you to kill him first, then you can easily track us down and kill us. You're just being a stereotypical idiotic villain. He put up a tiger seal. "The water clone technique."

And from out of the ground, water in the shape of Zabuza appeared in front of us. Naruto gasped in horror, and I stepped back some. Oh shit...

Zabuza chuckled again. So creepy... "The four of you have headbands on as if you think you're Ninja." Well, technically, we are Ninja. "But Ninja refers to someone who has gone through numerous life and death situations." Do you know what I just thought? No one ever says death and life situations. It's always life and death situations... Why is that? Oh yeah, I'm in a life or death situation right now. "In other words, you can call yourself a Ninja when you appear in my bingo book." The fake Zabuza put up a tiger seal, and the mist around us thickened. "You four aren't Ninja." The fake Zabuza disappeared in the mist.

Naruto started trembling, and I did too. I forgot what happened to make them beat him! I'm... Scared.

Suddenly, Zabuza appeared in front of Naruto and kicked him, Naruto flying back some, his headband flying off. OMG! That was fast, which means he's not wasting time, which means I can't waste time trying to sense him... Or I'm going to die!

Zabuza stepped on Naruto's headband. "You're just kids."

"Naruto!" Sakura screamed. Sasuke also gasped.

"Everyone! Get Tazuna and run!" Kakashi-sensei ordered us. Screw Tazuna, let's just run! "You can't win against him! He can't move as long as he has me in this Hydro Prison! He also won't be able to use his water clone once you get away from him! Run for now!" Kakashi-sensei... I never thought you would be so scared for us... I mean, I've seen this episode... But in real life... It's...

I know now, I can't leave you. I **won't **leave you, Kakashi-sensei!

"No! I can't leave you, Kakashi-sensei!" I yelled as I ran over to Naruto, kunai in hand. He was still trembling, and Sakura was too. They were staring at me, though... Sasuke was the only one who seemed to be thinking this over... Not trembling.

"We have to do this!" Sasuke yelled as he charged at Zabuza. Good job! No, good thinking!

"Come on, Naruto!" I yelled as I charged at Zabuza as well. I wasn't going to hold back! I'm going to use all the information I know to kill Zabuza!

Sasuke threw five shuriken at Zabuza, be Zabuza just grabbed his sword and blocked the attack. Sasuke jumped up, and I threw some shuriken at Zabuza, too. If he lands on him while the kunai is about to attack him, he can only dodge. But hopefully, he becomes an idiot and tries to block my kunai, so Sasuke can kill him somehow...

"This is the spot!" Sasuke yelled, ready to stab Zabuza in the head.

Zabuza looked at the shuriken flying at him, and up at Sasuke.

"Too easy." Zabuza muttered as he blocked the shuriken with his sword and grabbed Sasuke by the neck. Damn! I threw three kunai to early!

"Sasuke!" I yelled as I charged at Zabuza again, kunai still in hand. Zabuza just twirled around and threw Sasuke at me. It was too fast to dodge, so he slammed into me, both of us grunting as I fell on the ground. "Ow ow ow!"

"Sasuke!" Sakura screamed. HEY! WHAT ABOUT ME, YOU COW!

"Sasuke and Jalen got..." Naruto couldn't even finished his sentence.

Sasuke rolled off of me, and we both stood up, looking at Zabuza while trembling. I really tried, but I didn't know that would happen... I SHOULD HAVE REWATCHED THE SHOW, I'M AN IDIOT!

Naruto slowly stood up, his bangs covering his face. He clutched his hands. Ready for business now, eh? Let's show him our power!

Naruto charged at Zabuza, yelling, "Yaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh!"

"Idiot! Stop!" Kakashi-sensei yelled. He's not an idiot, mostly, and he won't stop. Because he's Uzumaki Naruto, and he's going to kick Zabuza's ass!

Sakura clutched her head, freaking out. "Ah! Naruto, what are you thinking?!"

"He's thinking the same thing Sasuke and I was..." I told her. She looked at me in confusion, so I explained. "He's thinking that we can't leave Kakashi-sensei, and we won't leave Kakashi-sensei!"

"Hmph. Idiot." Zabuza, you don't even know him like that, so shut up.

Naruto kept on charging at Zabuza, success plastered on his face. Well, I couldn't see his face, but I'm pretty sure he looked... Mad...

You can do it, Naruto! Kill him, tear him a new one, make him beg for mercy!

...

N-no... Naruto... Why are you on the ground in front of us, blood dripping from your mouth? Shouldn't you have did something other than get kicked back here? And- HOLY MOTHER GOD! HOW DID YOU GET YOUR HEADBAND BACK FROM UNDER HIS FOOT?!

…Anime logic, but surprisingly do-able in the real world.

"What are you thinking, charging in like that on your own?!" Sakura yelled, again, RIGHT beside me! My ears must be bleeding... "Even Sasuke is no match against him. Genin like ourselves have no way of defeating him at all!"

Everyone stared in shock as Naruto tried to get back up, ignoring Sakura. He clutched the headband tighter. When he finally got up, he looked down, his chakra... It feels kind of different. Stronger..?

"Hey... The no-brow there..." Naruto's voice was cold. "Put this in your bingo book... The man who will become Hokage of the Hidden Village of Konoha one day..." He looked up and smirked at Zabuza, tying the headband back on his head. "Uzumaki Naruto!"

Zabuza glared at him, while the rest of us stared at Naruto in... Amazement...

"Sasuke, lend me your ear for a second." Naruto asked/told him. It was a mix between the two, really.

"What do you want?" Sasuke asked, rudely if I do say so myself...

"I have a plan." Naruto answered, not at all fazed by Sasuke's rudeness. And hey?! Add me in the plan, too, ya know!

"I can't believe you want to work as a team." Sasuke commented.

"Now's not the time, Sasuke." I sighed. Kids... "Naruto, hurry and tell him the plan."

Naruto smirked as he wiped the blood off his mouth. "Let's go wild!"

Sasuke went over to Naruto so he could whisper in his ear the plan. I remember the plan, I just forgot how the plan was made. Hehe... At least I know we'll be safe, now.

After Naruto was done going over the plan with Sasuke, Sakura and I stood in front of Tazuna, protecting him. Naruto and Sasuke just stood in front of us, looking at Zabuza.

"Naruto... Hopefully this plan works, so we can make it back to the village and get some ramen." I smiled. I could tell he was smiling, too, and nodded.

"Let's go wild now!" Naruto exclaimed, completely back to his old self.

Zabuza chuckled... So evil... "You seem to be confident, but do you even have a chance for victory?"

"What are you all doing?! I told you to run away?!" Kakashi-sensei yelled. "The outcome of this battle was decided the moment I got caught! Run!" Don't be swayed, guys! "Our mission is to protect Tazuna! Did you guys forget that?!"

"No!" I yelled back. "I'm sorry, Sensei, but are you really okay with just forfeiting your life like that?! Our only option is to save you, don't you understand?!" I grinned. "It's because we're a team! And teamwork is everything, right?!"

"Run!" Kakashi-sensei repeated, probably ignoring me. "Protect Tazuna and run!"

Naruto looked back at me, then to Tazuna. "Old man..."

Tazuna looked down, probably embarrassed. This is all his fault, ya know! "Don't worry, I caused all of this in the first place. I won't say I want to survive no matter what." He looked up at us. His voice is kind of comical, ya know? "Sorry, everyone. Fight as much as you want!"

Sasuke smirked. "That's how it is."

"Are you ready?!" Naruto asked.

Zabuza started chuckling, then outright laughing. It kind of made me scared, but it was kind of funny at the same time... MIXED EMOTIONS!

"You sure don't learn, do you?" Zabuza asked us.

"What?"

"Still pretending to be Ninja." OMG! WE ARE NINJA, ZABUZA! SO JUST SHUT THE HELL UP ABOUT THAT NONSENSE! "When I was your age, my hands were already soaked in blood."

All of us gasped, including me. I guess the affect of that sentence was too strong... And now I'm scared again.

"The Demon Zabuza..." Kakashi-sensei added in.

"Oh? It looks like you heard of me?" Zabuza sounded amused.

"A long time ago, the Hidden Village of the Mist was known as the Village of the Bloody Mist..." Kakashi-sensei started to explain... For no reason... "In that village, there was an obstacle that existed to become a Ninja."

Zabuza grunted. "So you also know about the final test there?" The one where you brutally murder everyone? Yeah, I know too.

"The final test?" Naruto asked.

Zabuza chuckled.

"Hey, what is this 'Final Test'?" Naruto demanded to know.

Zabuza chuckled again. "Students killing each other." Naruto gasped. "Friends who have eaten from the same pot are separated into groups of two and forced to fight each other... Until one of them is killed." ...So like a deadly version of the Chuunin Exams? "This is done with friends that have helped each other, shared their dreams, and competed together."

"That's awful..." Sakura looked terrified.

"Ten years ago, the Hidden Village of Mist had to go through a reformation." Kakashi-sensei explained again. "Because in the previous year, a monster appeared that finally decided against it."

"A reformation..?" Sakura asked. "A reformation..? What did that monster do?"

"A small boy, who had not even gained the right to become a Ninja..." K-Kakashi-sensei... You can stop now... "Killed over 100 of the candidates that year, and killed them all without hesitation."

Everything was silent as the words registered in their heads.

"That was fun." Zabuza mused, shocking even me. He... He enjoyed it?! He... He's getting high off of the fact he killed over... 100...

My knees wobbled, and I knew I was losing hope. I just have to trust the Anime... Trust my team... Trust Naruto's plan..!

I looked back at my trusted team, and saw Sasuke flying through the air, being elbowed in the chest..!

Sasuke fell on the ground, so Zabuza ran up to him again and elbowed him in the stomach. Ouch! Ouch! Ouch!

"Gah!" Sasuke's mouth opened as blood gushed out!

"Sasuke!" Sakura and I yelled.

Zabuza stepped on Sasuke's stomach, grabbing his sword.

"Gah!" Sasuke spurted out more blood. He's really in pain...

"Die..." Zabuza muttered. Why can't I move?! Why can't I help him?! Why am I scared?!

"Damn it!" Naruto exclaimed as he made a tiger seal. "The Shadow Replication Technique!"

Dozens of clones appeared around Zabuza and Sasuke. Wow...

"Oh? The Shadow Replication Technique? And you replicated into quite a few..." Zabuza looked around.

They all took out a kunai. "Here I come!"

"Yahohoo! Get 'em, Naruto!" I exclaimed, making a fist. I'm not scared anymore, who would be after seeing about 4 dozen Naruto's!

They all jumped at Zabuza, while Sasuke crawled out of harm's way. They all got on him to the point where you couldn't even see Zabuza anymore!

There was a pause, before Zabuza growled and all the Naruto flew off of him! Zabuza was swinging his sword around like a demon! Oh wait, he is one...

"It's impossible! You can't beat a guy like that!" Tazuna told Naruto, sweating. All the fake Naruto's poofed away, leaving the real Naruto sliding across the ground, looking inside his book bag. He grabbed something then tossed it out of the book bag. "Sasuke!"

The... Shuriken! It was a giant shuriken! The giant shuriken flew in the air, and Sasuke caught it with a fancy spin.

Sasuke undid the shuriken since it was... Augh! Brain fart! I can't explain! "The Fuuma Shuriken, the Shadow Shuriken."

Sakura gasped in amazement, while Naruto grinned. I also grinned, knowing this battle would soon be over.

"A shuriken won't work on me." Zabuza deadpanned.

Sasuke jumped in the air, did a spin, and threw the shuriken at Zabuza with all his might. "Yaaaaahhhhh!"

The Shuriken went right past Zabuza... And headed straight for the real Zabuza!

"I see." Zabuza said. "So you're going after the real one this time. But..!" Zabuza caught the shuriken... He caught it... He caught the shuriken.

...

"Oh no..." I muttered. This can't be happening! He... He was supposed to dodge it, then Naruto would appear behind him and-

Suddenly, another shuriken came out of nowhere and headed straight for Zabuza! Yeah... I forgot that would happen...

"Yahohoo!" I cheered. "Got 'em!"

Zabuza jumped over the sword, making Sakura gasp. I just smirked, sensing Naruto's chakra in the shuriken.

The shuriken disappeared in a puff of smoke, revealing Naruto with a kunai in his hand. Everyone gasped, except Sasuke and I.

"This is the spot!" Naruto exclaimed as he threw the kunai straight at Zabuza...


	8. Chapter 8

**Naruto: The New Story **

Chapter 8

_**I decided to re-read all of my fics... and I was highly disappointed of myself when I did. There were so many mistakes on this story... So, so many. So I'm not making anymore mistakes, starting now! I'm going to have to re-read my chapter before I post it, I guess. Anyway, time to describe Jalen to you! **_

_**Jalen has red hair, and the style is similar to Naruto's, but it's a little calmer. His skin is sun-kissed, similar to Naruto's, and he wears his headband on his head, like most Ninja. He wears Naruto's jacket, but it's not zipped up, and a black T-shirt. His eyes are gold/orange. He wears blue jeans and blue sandals. His birthday is June 4. He's 12 years old. He's 4 ft. He weighs 89 pounds. Uh... And that's it, really. Did I put too much? **_

Naruto threw the kunai at Zabuza, causing Zabuza to turn around in shock. To avoid being stabbed in the face, Zabuza took his hand out of the sphere of water, and he moved out of the kunai's way. The water went from some sort of solid back to a regular liquid, freeing Kakashi-sensei from the prison.

I knew that would happen, but to my shock, the skin right under Zabuza's eye was bleeding. Naruto actually managed to nick him with the kunai! Everyone gasped.

Zabuza wasn't amused. He spinned the Fuuma Shuriken in his hand, aiming to kill Naruto right then and there!

"Naruto!" I yelled. That wasn't a clone! If Zabuza threw that at Naruto it would be over for him!

"You Damn Kid!" Zabuza was pissed. His chakra was jumping all over the place!

Suddenly, Kakashi-sensei stood up, stopping the shuriken with his hand. That must have hurt... Considering Kakashi-sensei's hand was now bleeding.

But... He did look cool. His hair was down, covering his eyes, and he was dripping wet. His hand bleeding, but him not really caring. His chakra making me think he's full of rage... From the way it was moving.

Naruto fell in the water, having escaped death thanks to Kakashi-sensei.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura yelled in joy.

Naruto got his head above the water and grinned. I grinned as well.

"Naruto, your plan was impressive." Kakashi-sensei's chakra was calming down. "You have all sure grown."

Naruto chuckled. "I used the Shadow Replication Technique to hide the fact I transformed into a Fuuma Shuriken. I didn't do it to defeat Zabuza, ya know." Good thinking, Naruto! "I left one of my replicas, and I transformed into a Fuuma Shuriken. Then, my replica threw me, now a Fuuma Shuriken, to Sasuke. Sasuke noticed it was me right after he caught it. Then he took out his own shuriken and used the Shadow Shuriken Technique. I hid in the shadow of the real shuriken, and went straight for Zabuza."

"Naruto... That's brilliant..." I whispered to myself. It's just that... He thought all of this under such pressurized moments and under a short amount of time. That's Shikamaru amazing.

"I knew I couldn't beat Zabuza just by that, of course." Naruto smiled. "But I thought that if I break the Hydro Prison maybe things would turn around... We were also able to get rid of the Water Clone, so it was a success, ya know!" We did?!

I looked around, and it was gone! What happened to it?! Did Zabuza dispel it when he got cut?

"It was just luck." Sasuke smirked.

"It was luck?!" Tazuna yelled in disbelief.

Sakura just looked dazed, while I grinned.

"Heh! I lost myself temporarily and cancelled the Hydro Prison Technique..." Stop trying to act cool!

"No. You didn't cancel the technique..." Kakashi-sensei glared. "You were forced to." Zabuza glared, Sasuke tensed, and Naruto chuckled. "Let me just tell you that the same technique won't work against me twice. What are you going to do now?"

Everyone was silent, making the situation get kinda tense...

"Sakura, Jalen, don't let your guards down." Sasuke reminded us. Hmph... It should be me telling you two that!

Suddenly, Zabuza folded the blades all on one side, causing all of them to push on Kakashi-sensei's hands. Kakashi-sensei grunted in pain, but pushed back, not to be beaten.

Man... That must really hurt... I feel bad for you, Kakashi-sensei... But it'll be over soon.

Kakashi-sensei pushed harder, knocking the Fuuma Shuriken out of Zabuza's hands into the gray sky. I... I hope it doesn't land and kill anyone.

Zabuza jumped back, Kakashi-sensei doing the same. Zabuza did a single hand sign, making Kakashi-sensei gasp.

"Sharingan..!" Sasuke gasped. Yep... Kakashi-sensei is going to use his Sharingan and copy all of Zabuza's moves.

Zabuza landed, doing a multiple of hand signs. Kakashi-sensei landed as well, doing all of the same hand signs as Zabuza.

"Augh!" I fell on my knees, clutching my head. So much chakra... It's really giving me a headache! "Augh!"

"What's wrong, Jalen?" Sakura asked, worried.

"The chakra... It's too much..!" I muttered, shutting my eyes.

"Huh? I don't understand!" Sakura responded.

"I think he's sensing all the chakra they're sending out." No duh, Sasuke! "Can you stop sensing it?"

...Can I? Karin can do it... So why can't I? Maybe if I just...

"AAAAAAUUUUUUGGGGGHHHHH!" I screamed as I felt them use the Water Dragon Bullet! It... It hurts so much! So much chakra! So much... I'm losing... Consciousness...

"Jalen! Jalen!" Sakura...

"Jalen!" Sasuke...

"J-Jalen?!" Tazuna..?

"Jalen?! J-Jalen!" Naruto...

I... Why do I sense an unknown chakra..?

...

When I opened my eyes, the first thing I saw was...

"Naruto..." I muttered, sitting up, slightly.

"Jalen!" Naruto hugged me, for some reason... "I thought you were really hurt! I though Zabuza did something to you, ya know! I thought... I thought, ya know... That you would be gone... And you'd leave me, ya know..."

"Naruto..." I blushed, turning away. How awkward... And you can stop hugging me, ya know... "I... I'm alright. And I promise, I'll never leave! Not unless, you want me to..." I grinned. "But then I'd kick your ass and change your mind, ya know!"

Naruto grinned, getting off of me. I slowly stood up, still a little groggy. I don't remember what happened... Though...

"Can you tell me what happened, Naruto?" I asked, stretching. "I don't remember much... And I have a little headache..."

"Oh... Well..." Naruto looked down, trying to remember everything. "Kakashi-sensei and Zabuza used this super water technique, and immediately after that I heard you scream loudly." I remember that part... "I heard everyone yelling and stuff, because apparently you fainted, ya know... I quickly rushed over to you, and saw Sakura shaking your non-moving body." She was shaking me?! What?! Did she think I was taking a nap, or something?! "Everyone was shouting your name, even Sasuke... And I just felt so defeated... I felt like it was somehow my fault..."

"It wasn't your fault..."

"I know... Sasuke kept telling me you had a chakra overload, or something like that... I didn't understand..." Chakra overload?! What the hell is that?! "What did happen to you, ya know?"

"Well, when Kakashi-sensei and Zabuza used that water technique, I could feel all the chakra sort of... Bunching into my head. It hurt, a lot." I explained. "They used so much chakra, ya know..." Don't tell me Naruto gave me that bad habit! "I just couldn't take it... And I fainted. Although, right before I fainted, I sensed some unknown chakra..."

"Oh yeah..." Naruto grumbled. "After I tried to wake you up myself, Kakashi-sensei and Zabuza kept fighting." Did Kakashi-sensei even care about me? "Kakashi-sensei was about to finish Zabuza off, but then this boy came and killed Zabuza with two needles!"

"Really? That's probably the person I felt." I mused. So, Haku saved Zabuza...

"Yeah! He was called... Um... Hunter-nin! Yeah, he's a hunter-nin, ya know!" Naruto exclaimed. "He took Zabuza away, and Kakashi-sensei checked on you. He told us you weren't dead, and all you would need was rest, but..." He punched the ground in frustration. "I just felt so useless! So stupid! You were unconscious, and this boy killed Zabuza with just one attack! I felt like... We were just wandering around stupidly! Ya know!"

"Yeah..."

"Kakashi-sensei began to walk, but he collapsed! We were all scared, but we carried him and you to Tazuna's house! That's where you are now, ya know." Naruto explained.

"So that's why I'm in a bed... Inside of an house..." I stretched some more. "Hey... Why am I wet?"

Naruto turned red, looking away. "U-uh... Zabuza and Kakashi-sensei's water attack made this huge flood... And you were under water for a while before I saved you, ya know..." Why are you looking embarrassed, Naruto? You saved me from drowning! Where were Sasuke and Sakura, though?

"Well, now that I know what's going on, and you know that I'm safe..." I grinned. "Let's go see if Kakashi-sensei is alright, since you said he collapsed!"

"Okay!" Naruto and I walked out the room and down the hallway. We eventually saw Sakura and Sasuke walking down the hallway as well. "Sakura! Sasuke! Jalen's awake!"

"Jalen!" Sakura exclaimed as she ran up to me. Sasuke just walked up to us, looking indifferent. "You're OK! I was really worried when you fainted in front of me!"

"Thanks, Sakura..." I laughed. "I'm OK, now. I just couldn't handle all that chakra..." I hope nothing like that ever happens again, though. "Although, I'm kinda worried that you guys just forgot about me as I almost drowned. Naruto told me everything..."

"Huh?" Sakura looked confused. "Oh Yeah... I'm sorry... That sudden wave of water surprised me, and I lost my grip of you..." Oh... "But, luckily, Naruto saved you before you drowned to death, and he gave you mouth to mouth resuscitation." ...Huh?

...Huh?

"...Huh?"

"The blockhead gave you mouth to mouth resuscitation because you weren't breathing." Sasuke, you aren't helping!

I glanced at Naruto, who was as red as a tomato, looking away.

"...Okay..." I nodded. The best thing to do right now is to not comment. Nope, no comment. He saved my life, and that is all. That. Is. All.

"Anyway, we were just going to check on Kakashi-sensei, are you two coming?" I asked.

"Oh? We were, too." Sasuke began walking towards Kakashi-sensei's room, everyone following. "His room is right he-"

"Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura exclaimed, rushing towards him. She bent down beside him, since he was laying down.

"Sensei's awake!" Naruto exclaimed.

NOW HE CAN TEACH US! HAHAHAHA! Nah, just kidding...

"Sharingan is amazing, but it puts a lot of strain on the body. I'm not sure if it's good or bad." Sakura told the Jounin.

"I-I'm sorry." Kakashi-sensei apologized. "Are you feeling better, Jalen?"

"Yeah." I nodded. "I hope you're getting better, though, Kakashi-sensei."

"But you defeated such a strong Ninja." Tazuna said. "We should be OK for a while."

"By the way, who was that boy with the mask?" Sakura asked.

"He had the mask of a pursuing Ninja from a special squad from the Hidden Village of Mist's ANBU..." Kakashi-sensei explained.

"A special squad?" Sakura... You have so many freakin' questions, you know that, right?

"They are also known as the fire extinguishing unit, and their job is to erase any evidence that a Ninja was alive." Kakashi-sensei explained. "A Ninja's body will give away the secrets of Ninja Techniques and Chakra of the village it was in, any specific medicine that was used on the body, along with various other things." That's amazing. "For example, if I die, the secret to the Sharingan will be examined. And in the worst case scenario, there's a possibility that my techniques, including the Sharingan, will be stolen." That's awful... Can't people respect the dead? "In other words, pursuing Ninja will killed exiled Ninja who have abandoned the village, dispose of the Ninja's body... And stop any secrets of the village from being revealed. They are specialists in the field."

"I would hate to be a pursuing Ninja..." I mumbled, feeling my stomach rumble.

I forgot to mention that their is another lady in here; Tazuna's daughter. I forgot her name... But she was just standing above Kakashi-sensei, looking down at him disapprovingly. Tazuna was here, too, but I'm sure you already knew that.

Kakashi-sensei doesn't look so good... Maybe he's still exhausted.

"What's wrong, ya know, Sensei?" Naruto asked.

"Oh, about what I was talking about before..." Kakashi-sensei looked at all of us with a dull stare. "Pursuing Ninja are supposed to eliminate the corpse on the spot..."

"But... Naruto told me the Ninja that killed Zabuza took him away somewhere." I told Kakashi-sensei. "Isn't that strange, then?"

"Also, the weapon that the boy used to kill Zabuza is questionable, too." Kakashi-sensei noted.

"It was just a long needle." Sasuke looked down. "Could it be that..?"

"Yeah, it's just what you're thinking." Kakashi-sensei... If only I didn't faint...

"What are you guys talking about?" Tazuna asked.

"Zabuza is still alive." Kakashi-sensei told us, bluntly.

"WHAT?!" Tazuna, Sakura and Naruto screamed at the same time. That's weird...

"What does that mean, ya know?!" Naruto demanded.

"But, you confirmed that he died, Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura told him.

"I did confirm it." Kakashi-sensei... Why are you so calm about this? "But, he was most likely merely in a near-death state."

I say we ditch Tazuna and run. Who's with me?

"The weapon that the pursuing Ninja used has a low fatality rate unless it hits a critical point." Kakashi-sensei explained. "It's most likely used in acupuncture healing and such." Uh-huh... Interesting... "Pursuing Ninja know the structure of the human body very well... It should be easy for them to put a person into a near-death state." Ugh... Can you hurry this conversation up? Please! "First, he took home the corpse of Zabuza even when it's obvious that the body was heavier than him. Second, he used a weapon that has a low fatality rate." Those two are both correct. "From these two points, that boy was not to kill Zabuza, but to help him."

"Maybe you're thinking too much." Tazuna suggested.

"No, once a Ninja feels that there's something weird, he must prepare for it before it's too late." Kakashi-sensei explained to Tazuna. "It's one of the Ninja Iron Rules." Oh, really? Is there a book on this stuff?

Naruto was shaking, but he was also smirking. I could tell he could hardly wait for the next battle... Well, I can...

"Sensei, how are you going to prepare for this before it's too late?" Sakura asked. "You can't move for a while..."

Kakashi-sensei chuckled, making Sakura give him a confused look.

"I'm going to make all of you go through some training." Kakashi-sensei announced.

"Wait, even if we train, it's not going to be very helpful." Sakura... Please... "Since the enemy is a Ninja that you, Kakashi-sensei the Sharingan user, had a difficult time with." Are you mad, Sakura?

"Sakura, who saved me when I had a difficult time?" Kakashi-sensei asked. "You four are growing at a rapid pace." Aww... Thanks, Sensei! "Especially you, Naruto."

"Huh?" Naruto, were you even listening?

Kakashi-sensei smiled. "You've grown the most."

Naruto smiled. "You know your stuff, Kakashi-sensei. Now things are getting interesting, ya know!"

"No, it's not." Huh? Who said that?

We all turned around to see a little boy in green suspenders and a yellow shirt. He had on a white and Blue hat...

Is that you, Inari? I think that was his name...

"Who are you?" Naruto pointed at the little boy.

"Oh! Inari! Where were you?" Tazuna asked. Ah! I did get it right!

"I'm home, grandpa." Inari ran up and hugged Tazuna. Aww... He looks nice now.

"Inari, say hello to them." Tazuna's daughter told him. "These are Ninja that escorted grandpa." I really need to know her name...

"It's OK. Right, Inari?" Tazuna petted Inari on the head.

Inari just stared at us. We stared back. He stared at us... He stared back...

"Mom, they're going to die." ...Hehehe... How nice. "There's no way a person can win by going against Gatoh."

"What did you say, you brat?!" Naruto stood up, shouting. "Listen up! I'm a super hero that's going to become a great Ninja known as Hokage! I don't know who this Gatoh or chocolat is..." That doesn't even rhyme! "...But he's no enemy of mine!" He actually is...

Inari looked down. "A hero? How stupid. There's no such thing as a hero."

"Wha..." Naruto... Calm down... "What did you say?!" Naruto stomped over to the boy.

"Stop it!" Sakura yelled, grabbing Naruto and holding him back.

"If you don't want to die, you should go home." Inari turned around.

"Hey!" I guess I'll see what I can do... "Inari!"

He stopped, looking back to glare at me. "What?"

"Why do you say their aren't any heroes? There are plenty of heroes." I smiled. "I think I might understand you a little, but let's see..." I closed my eyes and began to think. "After this mission is over, and you still think heroes don't exist, then fine..." I hope these words reach him. "But just know, heroes **do **exist. And you'll have to learn that, sooner or later."

"Jalen..." What do you want, Sakura?!

"Hm?"

"He left a while ago."

...

Now he made me look like an idiot...

"That fucking brat!" I grabbed for my kunai, but was stopped by Sakura. "I'll kill that stupid brat! Tazuna must have rubbed off on him, huh?!"

Naruto was pissed, too. Maybe we should just alter the plot a bit and jump that brat! Hm...

I stomped away, Naruto following me. We walked upstairs, while Naruto mumbled to himself.

"Damn it! That brat! We need to tell him a thing or two!" Naruto grumbled as we started walking again, now upstairs. I nodded in agreement.

We kept walking, but I suddenly heard the faintest sounds of crying.

"Hey, Naruto... Look." I stopped and peeked inside the room. Naruto followed suite.

Inari was sitting on his dresser, crying. He was looking outside at the clear, blue ocean.

"Dad..." Inari muttered as he continued crying. That's... So sad...

I looked at Naruto, while Naruto looked at me. We just sighed, sadness obviously shown in our eyes.

How am I supposed to hit a kid who's crying over his dead father? I'm not evil...

And I could tell Naruto was thinking the same thing.

...

"We will now begin the training." Kakashi-sensei announced. We were in the woods somewhere... About to train to prepare against Zabuza.

"Roger!" Naruto, you better be excited.

"But before that, let me once again talk about Chakra, the base for the ability of a Ninja." Ugh... I'm kind of trying not to think about Chakra.

"At a time like this?" Sasuke asked, annoyed.

"Can I explain it, Sensei?" I asked.

"Well, since you are a sensor Ninja, I guess you can." Kakashi-sensei nodded.

"Okay!" I looked at Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura. "As Kakashi-sensei said, Chakra is the base of a Ninja's ability. If you can't use Chakra to it's fullest potential, you will be at a disadvantage against your enemy. Now... Chakra is what you need to do a Technique, such as the Shadow Replication Technique." Naruto grinned. "Every living thing has Chakra."

Moment of silence...

"That's all I know..." I chuckled slightly, sheepishly scratching the back of my head.

"Even Naruto could have told you that." Sasuke, shut up!

"Sakura, can you explain?" Kakashi-sensei asked.

She sighed as she took out this scroll from nowhere. The scroll said, "Pretty Female Ninja, Sakura, will teach you Chapter of Chakra."

"I'm going to explain this as simple as I can for you two." Hey?! I bet Sasuke doesn't know! "Chakra comes from the body energy that is collected from every cell in the body... And from the spirit energy that comes from training and exercise." ...Eh? "In other words, techniques come from these two energies that are squeezed out of the body and molded together." I'm getting confused... "This process is known as molding the Chakra. And with this Chakra... One is able to execute a technique by forming a seal."

"Correct." Kakashi-sensei applauded. "Iruka-sensei was blessed with a nice student, I see."

"What's with that? What's with that? You can just learn that with your body even if you don't understand the hard stuff..." Naruto said.

"Exactly what Naruto said." Sasuke agreed. "We're able to use techniques anyway."

"No." Kakashi-sensei stared at us blankly. "You guys aren't able to use your Chakra completely."

"What?!" Naruto, calm down. Please.

"Just Listen up. Like Sakura said, molding the Chakra means to extract energies from both the body and the spirit, then mixing them up in your body." Kakashi-sensei explained. "And the amount of each energy will differ from the type of technique you wish to execute. In other words, the mixing will be different." Oh, geez! I know how to do a simple technique, so don't confuse me into forgetting! "You are not able to use your Chakra effectively. Even if you are able to mold a large amount of Chakra, if you cannot control the balance, your technique will only be half as effective or not executed at all." Like... When Naruto couldn't do a simple clone because he always uses too much Chakra. "Wasting energy will create a weakness of not being able to fight for a long time."

"So... What should I do?" Naruto asked.

"You're going to learn how to control it with your body." Kakashi-sensei answered. "You must go through rigorous training where you put your life on the line."

"S-so what are we going to do?" Sakura asked.

Moment of silence...

"Climb a tree." Kakashi-sensei answered bluntly.

"Climb a tree?!"

"That's right." Kakashi-sensei nodded. "But it's not ordinary tree climbing. You're going to climb without using your hands."

"How do we do that?" Naruto asked.

"Just watch." Kakashi-sensei made a hand sign, and I could see the Chakra mold to his feet. He walked to the nearest tree, and then began to walk up the tree horizontally! It's one thing in the Anime... But it's amazing in real life! It's also kind of weird... Since he's walking up the tree with crutches.

"He's climbing..." Naruto stared wide-eyed at the display. Everyone else did, too, including me.

"This is how." Kakashi-sensei was now standing on a branch... Upside down... "Gather your Chakra to the bottom of your feet and make it attach to the tree trunk. Something like this is possible if you use Chakra."

"Wait, how can we become strong by doing that?" Poor, poor Sakura...

"Now we get to the main topic." Kakashi-sensei replied. "The main purpose of this training is to accumulate the right amount of molded Chakra in the right location." It's finally time for me to do what I've been procrastinating all this time.

Remember when I trained by jumping up and down buildings and stuff. Well, this is kind of the same thing... Except I need to put the right amount of Chakra I need this time. I usually just put a random amount to my feet and jump, but that will just waste energy.

"The amount of Chakra used for this tree climbing exercise is quite subtle." Kakashi-sensei explained. "And the most difficult place to concentrate said Chakra is behind the feet." Behind the feet? Is that your ankle? Or do you mean the bottom of your feet? "In other words, if you are able to master this, you can learn any type of technique. In theory, that is..."

Yeah, because I know not everyone is able to do the Chidori or Rasengan, that's for sure.

"The second purpose is to maintain the molded Chakra." Ugh... Stop talking about Chakra already... "Most of the time, Ninja mold their Chakra during battle. In that situation, it is even more difficult to mold your Chakra." Oh really? I did not know that. I thought you could easily mold Chakra with a kunai aiming for your neck. "Well, it's not like anything is going to happen even if I give this lecture. I need all of you to learn it with your bodies."

Kakashi-sensei took out four kunai and threw them in front of us. We all gave him a confused look.

"Use that knife to mark where you are able to climb up to with your current ability. Then, try to make a new mark above that mark." Kakashi-sensei explained. "You guys aren't good enough to climb by walking, so run to give yourself a boost, and get used to it. Got it?" Yes...

"This training is too easy for me, ya know!" Naruto exclaimed as he grabbed the kunai on the ground. I did the same, smirking. "Since I'm the guy who is growing the most right now!"

"Okay, be quiet." How mean, Kakashi-sensei... "Try and climb up any of the trees."

Naruto mumbled something under his breath as he closed his eyes and did a hand seal. Or should I call it hand sign? I don't know...

I guess I should do the same. I'm not going to let Sakura outdo me, ya know!

I closed my eyes and did the same hand seal. Hm... Maybe I should just copy the same amount of Chakra Sakura puts to her feet? Even with my eyes closed, I can see Sakura's Chakra if I want... And copying it shouldn't be too hard.

So, since that would be super easy, I'll just copy her Chakra movement and do it to my own body...

Hm... So that's how much Chakra I need to put to my feet... Now I just mold it, and...

I opened my eyes, and I could see everyone had molded different levels of Chakra under their feet, including me. Well, Sakura and I were hardly different. We both seemed to have an even amount of Chakra beneath out feet. Naruto's looked like he didn't have enough... Sasuke's seemed about right, I think.

"Alright! Let's go!" Naruto exclaimed as we all ran to different trees.

As soon as Naruto's feet touched the tree a second time, he slipped and hit his head on the ground... Hard. As I said, he didn't have enough.

Sasuke managed to run up the tree a bit but put too much Chakra in one step, cracked a part of the tree, slashed it with his kunai, and jumped off. I guess it was difficult for him to maintain a constant amount of Chakra.

I said that, because it's kind of difficult to maintain my Chakra. It's like a game, kinda, but the outcome will affect me... In real life.

I take another step, another step, another step. When I'm almost at the top, I can see I'm getting the hang of it. I'm super lucky I can see how much Chakra I need to put in each step, or I would have probably been fell off.

...

I'm walking up a tree.

I'm walking horizontally up a tree. The idea sets in, causing me to shake a little, but not fall off.

I'm really walking up a tree, like a real Ninja! I feel... Weird. I have mixed emotions about this...

"I made it." I whispered to myself as I stood on top of a branch. "I made it!"

"Yeah, this is easier than I thought!" Sakura smirked, sitting down on a tree branch. Everyone looked up at Sakura and I, gasping in amazement.

"Jalen! Sakura!" Naruto exclaimed, surprise written all over his face.

Sakura giggled, while I just gave a giant smile. That _wasn't _hard. It was actually kind of fun, ya know!

"Oh? It looks like the two who are best at controlling Chakra is Sakura, the girl, and Jalen, the boy that didn't even go to the academy." Kakashi-sensei announced, making me scratch my head sheepishly.

"Wow, Jalen! That's something I expected from my brother!" Aww, Naruto. "And you too, Sakura! That's something I expected from the girl I have high hopes for!"

"Damn it." Are you mad, Sasuke?

"Your knowledge of Chakra was splendid, but you guys control and stamina are good as well." Kakashi-sensei smiled. "Maybe Sakura and Jalen, and not someone else, is closest to becoming Hokage right now." Naruto looked up, slightly irritated. "The Uchiha Clan isn't as great as I thought it was, either." Sasuke glared at Kakashi-sensei.

"Shut up, Sensei!" Sakura shouted. She probably thinks Sasuke is going to hate her.

Naruto and Sasuke just stood still for a while, then glared at each other. Oh boy...

"Alright! I'm going to catch up to Sasuke first!" Naruto exclaimed, clutching the kunai in his hand. "I'm going to do this, ya know!

"Kakashi-sensei..." I started.

"What is it?"

"That brat, Inari was it? Well, I just sensed him walking away. He was watching us train." I told him.

"Really?! Really?!" Naruto searched around. "Gah! I don't have time for him! I need to catch up!"

Kakashi-sensei just smiled. "Maybe he'll learn something by watching us." Hm... Maybe... "Anyway, Jalen, come here for a bit." He jumped off the tree branch, landing on the ground.

I did the same, and I actually didn't fall this time! I'm levelling up!

"What is it, Kakashi-sensei?" I could hear Naruto and Sasuke in the background trying desperately to make it to the top. Naruto sounded like he was crying, though...

"We need to talk..." He grabbed me by the collar and did the Body Flicker Technique, taking us far away from the group. W-what's going on?!

"W-what's wrong, Kakashi-sensei?" I stuttered, Kakashi-sensei glaring at me. I could feel the hostility he was giving off... Is this really Kakashi-sensei? But, his Chakra is exactly the same as before!

"Jalen, you need to answer me truthfully, or I will be forced to kill you." W-what?! "Who are you? And where did you come from?"

...

...Eh..?

I'm screwed...


	9. Chapter 9

**Naruto: The New Story **

Chapter 9

"What could you possibly mean, Sensei?!" I'm screwed. I'm screwed. I'm screwed! Maybe I'll act like how Sakura would in this situation... "Are you trying to pull a prank on me, cause it's not funny!"

"Answer me." Kakashi-sensei glared. "Or I'll just read your mind myself." H-He can do that?! Oh no... Oh no, Oh no, Oh nooo!

I looked away, looking down. What do I do? I can't tell him... "What do you want to know, Sensei?"

"Your name?"

"Uzumaki Jalen."

"Your **real **name."

...There's no way I can tell him that. If he wants to know, he'll have to read my mind...

"I don't remember. My parents died at an early age, I can't even remember them." I mumbled. "I don't really like talking about my childhood, why are you doing this, Kakashi-sensei?"

"We don't have records of you. Where did you come from?" Kakashi-sensei asked... Crap.

"Do you have records of every orphan?" I asked back, glaring back at him.

He looked surprised for a second, but still decided to question me. "We have records on every orphan that lives in the orphanage, and we would have you automatically recorded when you were born."

"So I haven't lived in the orphanage, and I guess my parents weren't from here." Can you just leave me alone, Sensei? "Why are you asking me all of this, anyway? Are you going to ask about everyone else, huh?"

"...From the info I have now..." Kakashi-sensei narrowed his eyes. "You weren't born here, and your parents never came to the leaf, otherwise they'd be recorded in our database." ... "I guess you were born near the village, but your parents somehow died; leaving you all alone." This is getting tense... "So now, my question is... Since you don't remember your parents, how did you survive all by yourself, and how do you remember your first name and not your last name?"

Damn. I need to make up a very convincing lie, pronto!

"...An old man took me in." I whispered, looking down as if I was about to tell him something sad that happened to me. "He named me, since he didn't know my name, and I was too young to know anything. He was like... Family to me. Like my dad, or granddad." What else, what else! "He took me in and taught me everything I needed to know about Ninja and Chakra and stuff. I really loved that old man..." Can I force myself to cry? I think so... "Anyway, that man told me everything when I was still very young. He seemed... Desperate. Like he was in a real hurry, ya know. I'll never forget how scared he looked... I still don't know why."

"Keep on going."

"Right. Well, he told me that I wasn't related to him at all, that he just found me and protected me. I cried, because I really thought he was my dad, or granddad or something. It hurts, ya know, to know you'll never know who your parents are..." I felt a tear slide down my cheek... Am I really crying? "We left that town, and he died on our journey to wherever we were going. I was alone, again. But I had the skills to survive this time. That man... Taught me everything I needed to know."

"How did you make it to the Hidden Leaf?" Kakashi-sensei asked me.

"I don't know. While I was traveling alone, I just sort of found it. I walked right through the gates, and decided to live on the streets. It was much more comfortable than living in the woods." I... When is this going to end? "I knew how to steal what I needed, and throughout my time being in the village I learned new things. I stole Ninja books, and practiced my Chakra. It wasn't long before I found out I could sense it." Kakashi-sensei nodded, telling me to keep going. "I saw how those damn villagers treated Naruto. He was an orphan, too, but they didn't care. They treated him like the plague, even the kids did, too!" I growled. "All of them. Horrible. I wish I could have done something... But I didn't. I sometimes just watched as kids bullied him, the adults practically doing the same. They're all despicable..."

"Jalen..."

"I was about to steal something else, because I was hungry, but I fell off the roof I was on and onto Naruto. We got along quickly, and I persuaded him to let me live with him. We became practically brothers under such a short time..." I chuckled slightly, wiping a tear off my cheek. "Now, I can help Naruto. I can tell off those adults that talk about him, and I can be there for him! I... I actually have a stable relationship with somebody... And I'm not letting it go away this time!"

"...And that's all the truth?" Kakashi-sensei asked. I nodded. "Well, I'm sorry, but I just needed to know. You can go back to Tazuna's house and take the whole day off."

"..." I turned around, walking away. Even though that was all a lie, I just can't help feeling depressed. It has me thinking about my mom in the real world... Is she worrying about me? I hope not... I'm... I don't know what to feel...

When I got to Tazuna's house, I was greeted by Tazuna himself. I just walked on by him, ignoring him.

I slowly walked up the stairs, each stair making my mood worsen. By the time I was at the last stair, I was on the verge of tears.

Tears... They seem foreign to me, now. Ever since I've gotten to this world, I haven't cried. Not one bit. But now...

"Mommy..." I opened the door to my room, walking in. I made sure to close and lock the door behind me, not wanting anyone to get in. Even though it was about 7:30pm, I just wanted to lie down. And I didn't want to get back up...

"Jalen? Are you alright?" Tazuna's daughter asked, knocking on my door.

Go away... I can't even verbalize my words right now... I don't want to talk.

"Well, okay..." I felt her walk away, going back down stairs. Tazuna was down there, Inari too. Inari... He still has his mom... He still lives with his mom... He can see his mom everyday...

But I can't. My mom is in the real world... While I'm stuck here...

I want to take a shower... I want to eat, real bad... But I can't. I just don't have the motivation.

After a while of just laying there, I felt Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, and Kakashi-sensei walk in the house. Kakashi-sensei... It's all his fault I'm feeling like this. I'm **very **good at procrastination, and that's what I was doing with my feelings... But now that I held them in for so long... I can't escape them anymore.

"Jalen!" Naruto ran up to the door, banging on it. Not now, Naruto... "Jalen, open up!"

I really want to answer... But I can't... I can't, Naruto...

"...Well, dinner is ready, ya know." Naruto mumbled, walking away. Naruto... I'm so sorry, but not right now...

After a while I sensed Inari walk outside, Tazuna's daughter walking out not long after.

Ugh... I'm so sad... Why is this even happening? Kakashi-sensei still hasn't told me why he asked me those questions, and he didn't even tell me why I'm a Ninja in the first place! Why do I even have the skill to be a Ninja?! I wasn't even in the academy! This is all so stupid!

...

That night... That was the first night...

...I cried.

That was the first night I cried in the Naruto world.

_**~Line Break~**_

"Hm?" I rubbed my eyes, waking up. I got out the bed and walked over to the door, opening it. Didn't I have it locked?

I feel considerably better today. I'll just take a shower, get some breakfast, and start training!

"Hehehe, I think today will be a good day!" I grinned, grabbing a towel out of the closet and heading downstairs to find Naruto's book bag. It had my clothes and toothbrush in it, ya know.

After eventually finding it, grabbing everything I need, taking a shower, brushing my teeth, and putting my clothes on, I walked back downstairs, ready for some food.

"Jalen. We need to chat." God... No... Not you, Kakashi-sensei...

"What is it now?" I asked, tapping my foot on the floor. I haven't even made it fully downstairs, yet, and I have to talk to this guy... "And can I eat my breakfast, first? I kinda skipped most of my meals yesterday."

"Not right now." Kakashi-sensei walked up the stairs towards me, making me back up slightly. "Don't be scared, Jalen. I won't hurt you."

"Then what do you want?" I narrowed my eyes. I have to be very cautious, now, since up till now everything has been going by just like the Anime, more or less.

"I want to answer any questions you have." Huh? "I know I hurt you badly, and I'm sorry. If you ask me why I did it, I'll tell you."

"Why did you ask me questions about my past and everything?" I asked.

"...It'll be easier to explain everything to you, then." Kakashi-sensei grabbed my arm, bringing me all the way upstairs and into a vacant room. "Can't have anyone listening to our conversation, right?"

"..."

"Okay, well... It all began when we saw you at the Explanatory Meeting. No one knew who you were, and we were shocked to see how well you and Naruto seemed to get along." So? I can't just be an unknown friend? "Lord Hokage decided to investigate you, since you were one of the few people who didn't seem to dislike Naruto." Why would I dislike him? He didn't do **anything **to me. "So, we told Iruka-sensei to add you to Team 7, so I could test you."

"Okay... What else?"

"Lord Hokage brought me to Naruto's apartment, and we saw your clothes there, which meant you two were living together." Kakashi-sensei sighed. "We feared you probably brainwashed Naruto into trusting you so much, and were planning to take him from the village."

Time to act ignorantly. "What? Take him from the village? Why would I take Naruto of all people from the village? And from my knowledge, since people scorn him so much, it would be good for you people to get rid of him, right?" I scoffed. "You people really do piss me off, ya know."

"Yeah, well, you wouldn't understand." Oh, I understand more than you think, Kakashi-sensei. "So, I was to be your Sensei and observe you. It was like a side mission for me. And if I didn't see anything wrong or suspicious, I would just ask you straight up." Like how you did yesterday?

So... They thought I was like, an Akatsuki member, or something? How... I don't even know what to say.

"Oh." I looked away, slightly annoyed at the whole misunderstanding. "So that explains why I'm a Genin without going to the Academy..."

"But, you are Genin material." Kakashi-sensei smiled. "I'm sorry if I offended or scared you. I was just doing my job, but from here on out..." He put up a thumbs up. "You are officially apart of Team 7!"

"You aren't going to take me off?" I asked. "Your mission is kinda over, now, and I wasn't supposed to be on from the start."

"It's way too late, now." Kakashi-sensei started to walk away. "Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura are already too attached to you. If I put you off the team, the whole team would break apart, and it just wouldn't work out." He opened the door, then glanced back at me. "...And I've taken a liken to you myself..." He walked away, going down the stairs to the awaiting people eating breakfast. I noticed I didn't sense Naruto down there... Oh, right! He was training all night, and he meets Haku who wakes him up from his sleep.

"Good morning." I greeted, sitting down at the table. There was food all over the table, making my stomach growl. Apparently, Sakura just sat down, because Tsunami gave her a cup of tea. Yep, Tsunami. I finally remembered her name.

"Here you go." Tsunami gave me a cup of warm tea, too. Nothing like a cup of tea to start the morning.

I noticed everyone, minus Kakashi-sensei, giving me worried or weird looks. Sasuke: Weird look. Everyone else: Worried look.

"Jalen, what happened to you?" Sakura asked. "Are you alright?"

"Oh, Yeah... You didn't answer any of us when we tried to see if you were alright." Tsunami recalled, bringing Sakura and I some toast.

"I wasn't feeling too good." I answered, taking a bite out of the toast.

"Well, I'm glad that you're OK." Tazuna laughed.

"Yeah..." I finished my toast, and was now drinking the tea. "Where's Naruto? I don't sense him around here."

"He's stupid, so he's been climbing trees every night." Sakura rubbed her tired eyes.

"Every night? What do you mean?" I asked. I don't remember that... And we just started the tree climbing training yesterday!

"Oh yeah..." Kakashi-sensei started. "You were asleep for a few days. The only reason you aren't dead yet, is because you've been sleep eating... And for some reason sleep showering."

...What? Does that even make any sense? Sleeping for a few days straight?! Sleep eating?! Sleep showering?! Is this a lazy way for the author to get away with his mistake?

...Anime. If I just act like it's no big deal, and don't comment, I'll just forget it.

"Oh." I prevented myself from shouting, sipping my tea quietly. Everyone around me just sweatdropped.

"Anyway, he might be dead from excessive Chakra use." Sakura continued the conversation we had before all that. My mind is still on that whole, sleeping for a few days straight, crap. Did anyone even try to wake me up?! I'd be worried if my teammate was sleeping for a few days straight!

"Is Naruto fine?" Tsunami asked. "A child staying out all night by himself..." And none of you went to check on him? What were y'all doing for the past few days?! Were you guys also sleeping?!

"There's no need to worry." Kakashi-sensei gave her reassurance. "He's a decent Ninja, even if he doesn't look like one."

"I don't know about that. Maybe that idiot is dead." Sasuke said, folding his hands together.

"I'm not gonna hold it in anymore..." I stood up, closing my eyes. "HOW COULD YOU GUYS JUST LET ME SLEEP FOR WHO-KNOWS-HOW MANY DAYS?!"

"I'm going out for a walk." Sasuke stood up, walking to the door.

"Oh, no ya don't!" I yelled, running to catch up with him. Why is he walking so fast? "Sasuke, I know you're probably the most responsible person here..."

"And?"

"How could you just let someone sleep for that long?" I whined, really wanting to know what happened in between these days.

"Sakura said you looked kinda cute when we busted into your room the second day." He responded.

"...What?"

"Sakura said you looked kinda-"

"I heard you!" I yelled, practically tearing my hair off. "How is that an excuse?! If someone sleeps for over 15 hours, you wake them up! No exceptions!" I am kinda freaked out Sakura called me cute...

"Hn."

"Don't hn me! I'm worried!" I flailed around. "Everyone trained and everything, except me! Now I'm behind in my training, and I'll be unnecessary luggage!"

"You already were."

"Shut up, Sasuke!" Ugh, he's so unbearable... "Anyway... Ugh, never mind. There's no reason for me to yell anymore, since I think I'm OK."

"Why are you following me?" Sasuke demanded. "You could have complained to Kakashi-sensei or Sakura, why are you talking to me?" Are you mad?

"You're going to see if Naruto's alright, aren't you?" I grinned.

"...I'm just taking a walk."

"Sure..." I scoffed, walking up ahead. "I sense Naruto over here. There's also someone else with him. Just follow me."

"I _know _where he trains." Sasuke grumbled, still following me.

After a while, when we were close to where Naruto was, we walked past some lady with long black hair. Oh wait, that's Haku, which means that's a boy...

Gah! I just want to unveil his identity, but then he'll most likely kill us... And I don't want to die just about yet...

"Why? What an amazing thing... This world is engulfed with mysteries." Naruto... Why are you talking to yourself?

Sasuke punched Naruto in the head, grabbing his attention. "Ow! What are you doing, ya know?!" But, before Sasuke could respond, Naruto gasped as he noticed me. "Jalen! You're awake!"

"So what they said was true..." I noted, giving a grim look.

"What?"

"Nothing!" I laughed, grabbing Naruto's shoulder. "**Don't you dare let me sleep for that long ever again, got it?**"

"Whaaaa!" Naruto shuddered in fear. "Don't look at me like that, ya know!"

I laughed again, scratching the back of my head sheepishly. "Sorry."

"Ahem." Sasuke coughed, annoyed that he was being totally ignored. "Did you forget about breakfast time, idiot?"

Naruto looked confused for a second, but then snickered. Sasuke gave him a weird look.

"Let's train!" Naruto exclaimed, jumping up and down. "Now that I've had my rest, I'm good to go!"

"Did you listen to a single word I've just said?" Sasuke asked, looking annoyed. "You missed breakfast, and you've been training non-stop for days. There's no way you can climb that tree. You need to go back to Tazuna's house."

"No!" Naruto pouted, crossing his arms. "_You _can go back, but Jalen and I..."

"Yosh!" I saluted, sliding next Naruto.

"...Will stay here and train. Jalen can even help me, since he's made it up there already, ya know."

"**I'm probably rusty now**, **since I've been asleep for a... While**..."

"Did you say something, Jalen?"

"Nope."

Sasuke just scoffed, beginning to walk away. "Whatever, you two idiots can train yourselves to death for all I care."

"Okay. Naruto and I will just get better than you at Chakra control, and you'll be the only one who hasn't made it up the tree, yet." I shrugged. "Come on, Naruto... Let's go..."

I saw from the corner of my eye that Naruto stuck his tongue out at Sasuke. Sasuke just glared, before slowly following. Hook, line, and sinker.

"Okay, so what aspect do you need help on, Naruto?" I asked. He shrugged. "Okay... Well, just watch me."

I closed my eyes as I did a hand seal, concentrating as I sent Chakra to my feet. I memorized how much I should send, so that's why it's kinda easy to me, now. I just hope all that rest didn't hinder my abilities...

I started to mold the Chakra and ran up the nearest tree. It took about 10 seconds, and I was already on a branch. "Ya see? It's like that."

Naruto gave me a blank look, while Sasuke started concentrating his Chakra. After he was done, he ran up to the tree and started to climb. It didn't take him long to reach his limit, though, and jump off.

"Tch." Sasuke sucked his teeth, dusting himself off.

"Your turn. Naruto~..." I sang, swinging my legs while I sat on the branch.

"But, Jalen!" Naruto exclaimed, jumping up and down. "We can't see Chakra like you, so it's gonna take us forever!"

"I got it!" I grinned, jumping off the branch and landing on the ground safely. I'm getting better at that. "While you two concentrate your Chakra, I can tell you how much Chakra you need to add, or how much less. That should help a lot."

"Really?! Really?!" Naruto jumped up and down. "That's perfect!"

"Well, it'll help you. Sasuke... It'll help him a little, but his main trouble is maintaining the Chakra. Something that you might have trouble with, too, Naruto..." I coached, pulling out a scroll from nowhere and opening it.

The scroll said, "The Attractive Male Ninja, Uzumaki Jalen, Is Going To Teach You Chakra Maintation."

"First, Naruto, bring your Chakra to your feet. Don't mold it." I advised. He nodded, doing exactly what I told him. I stared at his Chakra. "OK, put a little more to your feet. Not much, just a little."

"Right." He brought a little more down to his feet, then stopped. "Now?"

"Do you know how much Chakra you have down there?" I asked. "If you don't memorize it, getting up the tree will be pointless, since you won't be able to do it again."

"Do I have too?" Naruto whined, eager to get up that tree.

"**Yes**." I nodded, looking away. "You will study that Chakra, and when I come back you will have to put the exact same amount back to your feet, got it?" He nodded, now concentrating harder than before.

"Ahem." Sasuke coughed, not wanting to be forgotten.

"Oh, Sasuke, you gotta speak up sometimes. It's so easy to forget about you." I sighed, waving my hand in disinterest. "Concentrate your Chakra, but don't mold it."

"Yeah, yeah..." Sasuke made a hand seal, closing his eyes. I saw how some of his Chakra went from his stomach to his feet.

"Your adding too much." I stopped him. "That might be OK for some techniques, but not for this. Take away some."

"Hn." Sasuke brought some Chakra back to his stomach. "Now?"

"Perfect~" He gave me an annoyed look. "Now, study it. Memorize it."

"Done." Sasuke looked at me. "Can I mold it now?"

"W-wha?!" I know good and well that bastard... "Undo the Chakra and show me, then."

He sent the Chakra back up to his stomach, then back to his feet, having the perfect amount of Chakra under his feet.

"Splendid!" I cheered, making him sweatdrop. "Now mold it, and wait for Naruto to be done."

"Done, ya know!" Naruto exclaimed, smirking at me. I smirked back.

Before I could tell him to show me, he did exactly the same thing as Sasuke, sending the Chakra under his feet perfectly. He then began to mold it.

"Okay! Good, you two!" I gave them both a thumbs up. "Now, maintaining Chakra..." I read through the scroll I had in my hands. I wonder how I got this scroll... Or how I knew I had it... Weird...

"What now?! What now?!" Naruto, calm down.

"Run up the tree. Every step you take will take away Chakra, so you have to add more as you go along." I read. "Don't add too much, but also don't let it get too low. Keep a steady Chakra flow."

"Okay!" Sasuke ran up the nearest tree, using the tips I gave him to the advantage.

"Argh! Wait!" Naruto sped up his tree, wanting to get up there before Sasuke.

Now... Since that's settled... I can practice my shuriken and kunai handling, oh, and some techniques.

"AAOOOOWWWW!" Naruto yelled, grabbing his bruised head. Sasuke fell on the ground, too, but he didn't yell. He cursed. A lot.

"This is going to be some training session..." I mumbled, taking out a couple of shuriken and throwing them at the nearest tree.

_**~Line Break~**_

"Naruto!" Is that Sakura I hear? "What's Naruto doing? Sasuke and Jalen haven't returned after they left for their walk, either."

"Hiya~" I leaned on a tree, panting as I waved at Sakura and Kakashi-sensei.

"Jalen? Were you training?" I nodded. "What about Sasuke? And Naruto?"

A kunai was suddenly thrown at them from the sky, putting both Sakura and Kakashi-sensei on guard. Heh... So he actually did it...

We all looked up to see Naruto grinning as he laid on a tree branch. I grinned, too, proud that Naruto was finally able to do it. I kind of felt like a Sensei... Jalen-sensei?

"No way." Sakura stared up at Naruto wide-eyed. "Naruto's able to climb all the way up there now? Amazing."

"How do you like that? I can climb this high now, ya know." Naruto jumped up, standing on top of the branch now. Suddenly, his foot slipped, and he started to fall over. "W-wha?!"

"Idiot!" Sakura yelled, but in a worrisome kind of way.

"This isn't good!" Kakashi-sensei exclaimed.

"Naruto!" I exclaimed, but was shocked as I felt him move some Chakra to his feet, molding it as he seemed to fall in slow motion.

"AAAAAHHHHHHHH!" Sakura screamed, making me shudder. God, she screams loud!

But anyway, what is he doing? From that far up, if he falls, he'll probably die!

Naruto fell back, but his feet just slid to the bottom of the branch, making Naruto stand on the branch upside down.

Whoo... That scared me.

"Not." Naruto grinned. "You fell for it! Hahaha!"

"You scared me!" Sakura whined, yelling at Naruto.

Wait a minute... His Chakra is low... He won't be able to maintain the...

"Naruto! Get back on the branch! Your Cha-" But it was too late... Naruto's feet became unattached to the tree branch.

There was a slight pause as everyone registered what just happened...

"Wha!" Kakashi-sensei sweatdropped.

"WHAA! NARUTO, YOU IDIOT! THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU GET TOO COCKY!" Sakura yelled, rage in her voice instead of worry.

"Oh no..." I muttered, not knowing what to do.

"GAAAAAAHHHHHH!" Naruto screamed, falling to the ground headfirst. Suddenly, Sasuke came out of nowhere, jumped off the tree he was on, grabbed Naruto's ankle, and attached his feet to the tree branch above them. It was just... Awesome.

"You idiot." Sasuke insulted.

"Sasuke..?" Naruto asked, swinging from side to side.

"Ah! Way to go, Sasuke! You amaze me!" Sakura squealed.

Sasuke threw Naruto up, letting him land on a branch to safety. Sasuke then swung back and forth, sliding himself to the top of the branch.

"You two have improved so much." Kakashi-sensei applauded. "But, if you want to train some more, you can. Sakura and I just came to check up on you three."

"I've improved, too, Kakashi-sensei." I pouted, running up the nearest tree, then jumping to the branch Naruto was on. It's become so easy to manipulate my Chakra, I don't even have to think about it anymore. "I can do just as much as them, ya know."

"I see you can." Kakashi-sensei began walking away, Sakura following. "Just make sure you three come back for dinner tonight."

"Roger!" Naruto exclaimed, trying to run farther up the tree. When he got tired, he would just rest on the nearest branch. Sasuke was doing the same, although at a better pace.

I sighed as I followed them, not wanting them to beat me. I just don't want to be left behind... I want to be strong...

"Okay, Jalen!" Naruto started as I jumped on the branch he was on. We were far up... "Let's spar! I noticed you need work on your taijutsu." Are you trying to say something?

"But, we're on a tree branch." I heard Sasuke fall down from the tree he was on onto a branch. That was the 3rd time he did that! Naruto did it 5 times! I've only done it 1 time, because I'm very cautious. But, I climb a slower pace than them because of that.

"Yeah! Won't it help our control if we can battle while tree climbing?" Naruto asked. "It can be a game! The first one to the top wins!" Well, I guess that would be fun... If I don't fall off. We haven't even made it halfway to the top, yet! This tree is gigantic! If I fall, I know I'll die. No question.

"That sounds interesting." Sasuke jumped on the branch we were on. "We can use anything we want, as long as it doesn't kill."

"Right!" Naruto started running up the tree. "Start!"

Sasuke and I exchanged looks, before jumping away from each other, trying to catch up to Naruto.

Hm... What should I do? I don't know many techniques... So I don't know what to do. I can't throw any shuriken or kunai, cause that would kill them... So the only thing I can do is hand-to-hand combat!

"Yah!" I exclaimed as I kicked Naruto from the tree. But, he disappeared in a puff of smoke... A Shadow Replication. "Damn."

"Gotcha, ya know!" Naruto exclaimed from below me, doing a single hand seal. "Shadow Replication Technique!"

Plenty of Naruto's were now chasing me. Well, about 5 were. I need to think of a plan, fast, cause they were catching up.

"Clone Technique!" I exclaimed, doing a single hand seal, feeling a bit of my Chakra leave me. There was a puff of smoke around me, and there were now 6 of me. I know these are just doppelgangers, so they can't physically touch Naruto like his clones can, but I can still confuse him.

We all split up, the Naruto clones following each of my clones. Perfect.

I landed on a tree branch, and glared at the Naruto in front of me.

"Are you a clone?" I asked, taking out a kunai.

"Guess." The clone laughed, charging at me. I didn't want to take any chances of hurting Naruto, so I put the kunai in my pouch and charged at him as well.

As soon as we got near each other I did a leg swipe, but he jumped, kicking me in the head. It wasn't as hard as he would normally do, so I just wobbled back without taking serious injury.

I can't spend much time here... I need to hurry.

I ran up and punched him in the face, using Chakra to boost up my speed. He fell back and exploded in a puff of smoke. So it _was _a clone.

I cursed as I jumped up, running up a tree. I felt Sasuke was close by, with a Naruto by him. They were fighting, because I sensed Sasuke use a technique.

So I can win this! I just need to-

"Hiya~!" Ugh! Another Naruto!

This is going to be a long race...

_**~Line Skip~**_

It was now night, and we all finally made it to the top of the tree. We were all sweating, panting, and just downright exhausted! I just want to sleep now... Sasuke won, by the way...

"Let's go home." Sasuke smiled while panting. Oh my... He smiled!

"Yeah!" Naruto and I agreed, holding on to the tree while I rested.

After a while of just panting, we found the strength to jump down the tree branch from branch. When we got to the bottom, I was completely out of Chakra. My reserves was the only thing keeping me alive right now, but I still felt like I was going to pass out.

"Ugh..." Naruto fell on his knees, unable to walk. "I need help..."

"Come on, let's help him walk, Sasuke." I said between breaths, putting his arm over my shoulder. Sasuke put his other arm over his shoulder.

"...Thanks." Naruto grumbled, slightly annoyed that he needed help from Sasuke.

We started to walk, no one saying anything. I guess, we were just too tired to. I know I was. All that training... That fighting...

After about 10 minutes, we made it to Tazuna's house. I kicked the door open, smirking as I did so.

I saw Kakashi-sensei immediately tense up, but calmed when he saw us.

"What's with you three? You look really dirty and tired." Tazuna commented. You always look dirty and tired, old man...

Naruto smirked. "We all climbed to the top."

"Okay." Kakashi-sensei... Is that all you have to say?! "Naruto, Sasuke, Jalen... You three guard Tazuna next time, as well." Yay!

"Roger!" Naruto exclaimed, jumping up, making all of us fall on our backs.

"Owch." I deadpanned as Naruto laughed.

"You idiot." Sasuke, don't be so mean.

Everyone laughed, which made me laugh, too. Today was a good day, I can say that for sure!

_**~Line Break~**_

"The bridge is almost complete." Tazuna said. "It's thanks to you."

We were finished eating, and were now just sitting at the table having a chat.

"But don't push yourself so much." Tsunami, Tsunami, Tsunami. I can't believe I forgot her name!

"I wanted to ask this before, but why are you still here even when I lied about the mission details?" Tazuna asked.

Kakashi-sensei just stared at Tazuna for a while, before crossing his hands. "Not doing right when you know it is right, that's the coward's way. There are no weak soldiers under a valiant commander."

"Huh?" Tazuna and Tsunami looked confused.

"They're the teachings of the previous Hokage." Kakashi-sensei explained to them.

This might be random, but I'm stuffed. Like, really stuffed. I ate so much!

Wait, why is Inari glaring at Naruto? He's hardly said anything, so you can't be mad at him! I'm tempted to say something about it... But I'll just see what happens. I know Inari is supposed to get mad somehow during this dinner.

"Wait... Why is he crying?" I whispered to myself. "Inari! Are you alright?!"

"Why..." Inari started, tears falling on the table under him.

"What?" Naruto looked up at Inari.

"Why are you trying so hard that you end up like that?!" Inari yelled, slamming his hands on the table. Oh snap... "You can't beat Gatoh's men even if you train!"

"Do you people own a belt?" I asked, feeling a vein pop. They gave me a confused look.

"No matter how hard you try and say those good-looking words... Weak people are going to lose against strong people!"

"That's a sad way to think, kid." I yawned. I'm kinda tired... "You automatically think that we **aren't **strong, and that Gatoh and his men **are **strong. That's one, disrespectful to the people who saved your granddad, and two, just wrong! You really are pissing me off, ya know..."

"You don't understand!" Inari cried.

There was a moment of silence, before Naruto started to speak. "Shut up, I'm different from you, ya know." Naruto said calmly.

"Shut up! It pisses me off when I watch you! You don't know anything about this country, and you're so nosy!" Inari screamed.

"We know enough!" I yelled back, standing up. "And we're trying to help you! What's the matter with you?!" I think they should beat the shit out of this brat. "If we fucking lose, it won't affect you at all! It'll just be the same as it was before we got here! But if we fucking win, your town will be better than ever! So what the hell is the matter with you?!"

"I don't want to hear that from someone who slept for 3 days straight!" He's dead. I'm killing him. You're done for, brat. "I'm different from you, someone who doesn't know any real pain and just laughs all the time!"

Did you just say we don't know any pain? You... You don't know anything, do you? And your making me want to kill you...

"...Is that why you're trying to be the main character of a tragedy and just crying?" Naruto asked darkly. "An idiot like you can just keep crying." Oh, snap. Oh, snap! Oh, snap! "You Crybaby!"

"Naruto, Jalen, you're doing too much!" Sakura scolded. Naruto ignored her as he walked away, going upstairs. "Naruto..."

Inari just kept crying, hiding his eyes behind his hat. We all stared at him, making him feel uncomfortable. "STOP STARING AT ME! JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!"

He ran away, crying louder and louder.

"I don't like him." I stood up, walking upstairs. "He acts more like a villain than a main character."

When I got upstairs, I went inside my room, and saw Naruto looking outside.

"Hello." I greeted, grabbing his book bag, trying to find some night clothes. "I'm gonna take a shower first. Don't fall asleep without taking one, k?"

He just nodded, still looking outside. Man... I hate Inari.

After my shower, I decided to brush my teeth, then I went back in my room.

"Naruto! I'm done!" I yawned, throwing my dirty clothes on the floor. I'll get them up tomorrow...

"Okay!" Naruto exclaimed as he ran out the room to the shower. I mentally laughed, and plopped on my bed. I took off my headband, placing it beside me.

"God... I'm tired..." I sighed, closing my eyes as drifted into the warmness of sleep. "...But I better not sleep for another 3 days!"

_**~Line Skip~**_

"I overslept!" Huh? Naruto... Shut up... I'm sleeping... "Jalen! Jalen get up!"

"What..?" I rubbed my tired eyes, sitting up. "What are you talking about, Naruto?"

"We overslept!" Naruto exclaimed, throwing me some clothes... Huh?! They left me?! I understand Naruto, but why me too?! I would have woke up Naruto if they would have woke me up! Gah!

"Hey, hey, where did everyone go?!" Naruto asked Tsunami, who was washing dishes. Naruto, let go of me! I have to get ready!

"Oh, Naruto. Your Sensei said you should rest for today." Tsunami answered.

"What about me?!" I demanded.

"Oh, Sakura said you looked kinda cu-"

"WHAT THE HELL?!" I ran back upstairs, taking off my clothes and putting on the ones Naruto gave me.

Naruto did the same, and after brushing our teeths (I wasn't letting Naruto not brush his teeth) we put on our headbands.

"Good-bye!" Naruto exclaimed as we ran outside, closing the door behind us.

We ran in the woods, and then began to tree jump. It was way faster than running, ya know! And I can't just let them fight Zabuza by themselves!

"Damn it, they should have woke us up!" Naruto whined, jumping from tree to tree like a fox. Or wolf. But you guys know why I said fox. I was jumping from tree to tree like any regular Ninja would.

Naruto suddenly stopped and jumped on the ground.

"What are you doing, Naruto?" I asked, sighing as I jumped on the ground beside him. I gasped as I saw the wild boar. It was bloody... With scratch marks on it. Like... Someone with a sword... "Oh, no..."

"Why do the trees all have marks on them? Like someone with a sword cut them all..."

"And they're leading straight to Tazuna's house!" I made a tiger seal, closing my eyes. If I try hard enough... Maybe I can... "I sense two people! They are going in the direction to Tazuna's house! They're Chakra feels dangerous... Let's go back."

I can't believe I forgot! Those two bandits that Gatoh hired! Damn, we need to hurry back, now!

"Okay." Naruto and I jumped back on the tree branches, heading back for Tazuna's house...

_**Can I get an award for longest chapter ever?! I think I need one! Really, I do! Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this! Review, and stuff... Bye nii! **_


	10. Chapter 10

**Naruto: The New Story**

Chapter 10

Crap! Crap! We gotta hurry, we gotta hurry! I can't let Tsunami die, or Inari! That'll be on my conscience for life!

"They're at Tazuna's house!" I told Naruto, speeding up. "We need to hurry!"

"Right!" Naruto nodded, tightening his headband.

After about a minute, we were there. And as I expected, two bandits with swords were holding Tsunami hostage. Inari was charging at them, tears running down his face.

"Oh, no..." I gasped in horror, the two bandits unsheathing their sword. They're planning on killing Inari! And Tsunami could be dead for all we know, since she was lying face-first on the ground.

"Aaaaaaahhhhhh!" Inari, run the other way! Not towards them!

Naruto sprang into action fast. He ran over to the commotion, doing hand seals as he did so. He grabbed Inari, pushing him out the way while the guards slashed _him _instead.

I pushed backed the urge to scream and ran, sending Chakra to my feet to boost my speed, grabbing the unmoving Tsunami.

"Wha?!" The bandits gasped, either at me taking Tsunami away from them, or at the log that they cut up. Wait... Log! Naruto used the Body Replacement Technique, replacing with a log, so he could save Inari without getting himself killed! Awesome, Naruto!

"Sorry for being late." Naruto apologized. "But heroes are supposed to come late."

"Naruto!" Inari gasped. "And Jalen!"

"Inari, well done!" Inari gave him a confused look while I put Tsunami on the ground, gently. "Jalen was able to save your mom because you got their attention!" Oh? I didn't think about it like that.

"How did you find out that the Samurai were here?" Inari asked. Wait... Samurai? I could have sworn they were bandits...

"Huh?" Naruto looked up. "We saw a wild boar that was sliced by a katana in the forest." Naruto explained. "We also saw katana marks on the trees. The traces led to your house, so we got worried."

"I see..."

"You're just the incompetent Ninja that Tazuna hired." Excuse me?

"Let's kill them." The other one said.

"Roger." The one with no shirt agreed. They unsheathed their swords.

"They're coming!" Inari yelled as they charged at us. I sighed, stretching a little.

"Let me do this, okay, Naruto?" I smirked, throwing 5 shuriken at the Samurai. They just blocked them with their sword, but I did a few hand seals while they were doing that. "Clone Technique!" There were 4 of me now. We all threw 5 shuriken at the Samurai, resulting in 20 shuriken being hurdled at the two men.

"That won't work on us!" They exclaimed, stopping to block the attack.

"Oh, really?" Oh yeah... All of the shuriken I threw had paper bombs stuck to them... The clones had regular shuriken... So...

"AAAAUUUUGGGGHHHH!" They screamed, the shuriken blowing up as soon as it touched their katana. The explosion was kinda big, so when the smoke cleared, it wasn't surprising to see them on the ground unconscious.

"Wow..." Inari gasped.

"Perfect, Jalen, ya know!" Naruto laughed, patting my back.

"Hehehe, it was nothing." I laughed, dispersing my clones.

Inari laughed. "Jalen, you're like a Ninja!"

"I _am _a Ninja!" I exclaimed, fist pumping.

Everyone laughed, including me. We laughed, even though those two men were probably dead... We laughed, even though Tsunami was on the ground unconscious. We laughed... Why are we laughing?!

"A-A-Achoo!" Naruto sneezed. I was now tying up the probably dead men. I hope they're alive... I don't want blood on my hands, ya know...

"Do you have a cold?" Inari asked.

"I'm OK, ya know..." Naruto replied. "Anyway, Inari, I'm sorry about yesterday..."

"I am, too." I apologized as I finished tying them up. They shouldn't get out of that, right?

"What?" Don't act confused, Inari. We just apologized to you.

Naruto snickered. "I called you a crybaby. I take that back, ya know."

"It took a lot of courage to run up to those men. Even when you knew they had katana, you still ran. I don't think I would have been able to myself, if I was in your situation." I'm not lying. I don't know what I would have done. I would have probably followed them in the woods, waited till they put their guard down, and lashed out with a knife. A knife I got from my kitchen, of course. "You're really brave, Inari."

"G-gheh..." Huh? Inari... Don't cry. Well, I would have cried... "Damn it, I chose not to cry anymore..." He wiped away his tears. "Now you're going to make fun of me and call me a crybaby again..."

I don't know what happened, I don't know what kind of spirit possessed me, but I hit Naruto. I hit Naruto straight in the head.

"Ow!" Naruto held his head. "What was that for?!"

"You've scarred the boy!" I exclaimed, waving my arms around. "I'm pretty sure deep down inside he hates us! Give him good advice and make him like us!"

"R-right!" Naruto stuttered, seeming to shrink down. "Inari..." Serious, Naruto! Serious! "It's OK to cry when you're happy." Naruto grinned.

Inari stared at Naruto wide-eyed. I feel like he likes him more than me...

"It's OK to cry when you're happy!" Naruto repeated.

"Naruto..." Inari cried more, the tears practically running down like a running faucet. Hey... That was nice.

"Now, I can leave this place to you, right?" Naruto asked, turning around.

"Yes!"

"I'll be heading to the bridge, then..." Hey... Are they... Forgetting about me? He's... Running off without me... "Heroes are busy, busy, ya know!"

"Ya know!" Inari echoed, smiling.

Moment of silence...

"You're still here, Jalen?" Inari asked, turning around.

"Damn it, Naruto!" I shouting, running after him. "Damn it, damn it, damn it!"

_**~Line Skip~**_

We finally made it to the bridge, (which was difficult considering we never went there before) but it was covered with mist. The Mist Concealment Technique...

And the worst part is... I sense Zabuza, with an unknown person. I guess that's Haku.

"What's going on?" Naruto asked.

"Zabuza! And some other person!" I exclaimed. We heard Sasuke scream. "And he's hurting Sasuke!"

Naruto didn't respond. He just sped off towards everyone. I followed, of course, but I was doing hand seals. I was doing them for the Body Replacement Technique, of course...

Naruto jumped up, throwing a shuriken at the dome of ice around Sasuke. On closer inspection, he was throwing it at Haku, who was just about to come out of the ice to kill Sasuke.

And... It hit! It hit Haku straight in the face and would have cut him if not for the mask.

Everyone gasped as realization hit them that Haku just got attacked by some unknown person. Haku fell out the ice onto the ground, right outside his dome of ice. Get out, Sasuke! You have the chance!

Well, he probably can't move, since his clothes are tattered everywhere, and blood is dripping from his head. But other than that, he's perfectly fine!

Naruto appeared beside the dome in a puff of smoke, me right beside him holding up a peace sign.

"The noisy Ninja that's number one in surprising people..." Haku started. "And the weird, yet helpful Ninja that's surprisingly cute when he sleeps..."

"...What?"

"Uzumaki Naruto and Uzumaki Jalen is here!" Naruto exclaimed.

...

Wait... Back up... What did Haku just say?

"Now that we're here, everything's going to be just fine, ya know." Naruto announced.

Tazuna gasped.

"Naruto! Jalen!" Sakura exclaimed in happiness.

"The main characters of a story usually appears like this and defeats the enemy in a flash!" Naruto told everyone, doing a pose. I sweatdropped, not really wanting that much attention.

"Hmph. It's that kid." Zabuza glanced at us.

"And me! Don't forget about me!" I waved my hands around in frustration. What?! Is it forget Jalen day!

"All right! Let's do this!" Naruto smirked at Haku.

I took out a kunai. "Right..." I slashed at Naruto, him hardly avoiding the attack.

"Gah! What are you doing, Jalen, ya know?!" Naruto asked.

"We could have used this chance to form a surprise attack, _ya know_!" I scolded. "Think before you act sometimes!"

Everyone sweatdropped. I guess they weren't expecting that...

"Yeah, yeah... Sorry, sorry..."

Zabuza suddenly threw shuriken at us. Does he think I can't block them? I have a kunai in my hand, ya know!

"Dodge it, you two!" Kakashi-sensei yelled. Dodge it? Do I have to? Can't I just block them? Will something happen if I do? Augh! Now I'm scared to block them, and it's too late for me to dodge..!

Suddenly, senbon (needles) were thrown at the shuriken, blocking them for us. Naruto and I gasped... Slowly looking towards Haku; the one who saved us.

"They were saved..." Are you sad, Sakura?!

"How lucky! The enemy's attacks collided with each other!" Tazuna exclaimed. Don't be dumb, idiot.

"Hey, what are you two doing?!" Sakura yelled at us.

"I got confused, alright!" I'm not going to explain to them. Too much work... We're in a fight. All that fun stuff...

"What kind of idiot attacks their teammate right in front of the enemy?" Don't be mean to me, Sensei... "But he was right, Naruto! You should have took the opportunity to surprise attack the enemy! You two need to get it together!"

"Awww..." Naruto and I whined... He's being so mean...

"The way you two acted made you only target practice!" Kakashi-sensei finished.

"Gah! Oh no..!" Naruto clutched his head. "We came here to help, though..."

"Haku. What was the meaning of that?" Zabuza demanded an answer to having his attack blocked.

"Zabuza, leave them to me." Haku answered. "Please let me fight them my way."

"What did you say?" Naruto made a fist.

Haku just stared at us, not bothering to respond to Naruto.

"That mask... So creepy..." I clutched my kunai harder.

"Heh, so you don't want me to interfere, Haku..." Zabuza... You're creepy, too. "As usual, you're too easy on the enemy."

"Then... I'm going to beat you first!" Naruto pointed at Haku. Hey, don't add fire to the flame!

"Hey, don't think of anything weird now, Kakashi." Zabuza warned. "If you move, you know what's going to happen to that geezer, right?" You'll kill him. We know. "Let's observe how the young ones will fight, shall we?" Hunger Games, much?

"That mask... So you were one of Zabuza's men." Naruto glared. "How dare you trick us!" Wait... Sasuke is inside the dome. Haku isn't. If he sneaks out, that whole Mirror of Ice Crystals thing won't happen, and we'll have a better chance of winning...

I can't just call out to Sasuke, because then Haku would just go back and destroy him. But, he can't move anyway... Sadly... I _think _he can't move.

"I'm sorry." Haku apologized, surprising Naruto. "But, your teacher said this, too... You must find an opportunity to surprise the enemy. Please don't take it personally..." Damn... If only Sasuke could mo- WHAT THE HECK?! If you have the strength to hold up a kunai to throw at Haku, then try to get out of there first, Sasuke! God! Think!

Sasuke ignored my mental rant and threw the kunai straight at Haku's face. I cheered, mentally of course, but frowned when Haku just moved his head back, the kunai missing by inches.

We all gasped, Naruto looking at Sasuke in confusion. Did he forget Sasuke was in there?

"I didn't forget about you." Haku monotoned. "I would have liked for you to just lie there quietly, but I guess I can't expect that. Very well, I will finish the match with you first." Haku began to walk towards the dome, completely disregarding Naruto and I.

"H-hey, ya know!" Naruto exclaimed.

"Not so fast!" I yelled, taking out my last explosive kunai and throwing it at the rectangle of ice Haku was about to enter. Well, that was my only explosive kunai. I used all of my explosive shuriken during that last fight... Argh!

Haku jumped out the way at the last moment, the kunai exploding as it touched the ice. I forgot Haku was fast, and I guess I'm about to experience that because he was now charging at me.

"I shouldn't have forgotten about you." Haku took out a senbon, slicing at me. I backed up to avoid the attack then dashed back up to Haku, kunai and senbon colliding. Haku pushed harder, making me loosen my grip on my kunai as he kicked me in the stomach.

"Gah!" I coughed out some spit, sliding across the hard, cold ground. Man, that hurt...

"Now you're finished." Haku said as he charged at me again, doing... One-hand hand seals... Uh-oh...

I painfully got up, blocking his senbon.

"Sorry, but I need to end you here. Please don't hate me..." How could I hate someone who's trying to kill me? I'm not evil! He finished doing hand seals. "Flying Water of a Thousand Kills."

Haku stomped his feet, making the water on the ground somehow jump up and float in the air. Oh, God... Isn't this..?

I need to hurry! I know what to do, but I need to hurry! Send Chakra to my hand... And mold it!

The water got higher up above our heads...

I sent the Chakra to my arm, then to my hand. Now... I don't know if this will work, but...

The water turned into spikes. Spikes of ice. So it's what I feared...

I shut my eyes and tried desperately to send the Chakra to my kunai. Maybe it would have been better to jump away in time...

The spikes of ice charged at both of us, but before Haku could jump away, the kunai I had in my hand broke his senbon, surprising him and stopping him from jumping away. Haha! It worked! I used this opportunity to slash his chest, blood squirting out from it.

And after that, the spikes gorged us. Well, mostly me, since I surprised Haku into backing up and not getting stabbed as much. He only got stabbed in his foot and one of his legs. One spike stabbed me straight through the chest, the rest of them just stabbing me everywhere else.

Poof!

A metal beam. I replaced myself with a metal beam. Remember when I started the Body Replacement Technique at the beginning? Well, I decided to use it right then. Lucky too, aren't I? I'm kind of running low on Chakra, though... Not really, though... Just... Meh.

I was now a bit away from Haku, mostly beside the dome of ice.

Everyone gasped as they saw what awesome skill I showed. I can tell they're surprised... Because I'm surprised myself!

"Jalen..." Sakura couldn't say anything else. She just stared in amazement.

"He's good!" Tazuna gasped.

Kakashi-sensei just stared at me wide-eyed, Zabuza doing the same. Haku just kneeled, taking out the ice from her leg and foot. His blood was dripping on the ground... If I could see his face, I'm sure he would be looking shocked.

I wonder if Naruto and Sasuke saw... Why are they in that dome? I guess I'll have to hurry and get them out!

I ran inside the dome, looking at Naruto and Sasuke. They were arguing about something that I don't feel like knowing about.

"Naruto! Sasuke! Come on! That boy is injured, so we can escape!" I yelled, using hand movement to tell them to follow me.

Naruto just gasped as he looked behind me. Sasuke sucked his teeth... Oh no... Don't tell me...

I slowly turned around... And saw Haku inside the ice mirror. As soon as I saw him, more of him appeared in all the other ice mirrors.

Sasuke started doing hand seals. "Fire Element..!"

"Hey, what are you going to do, ya know?" Naruto asked.

"These are mirrors made of frozen water." Sasuke explained "Then... Blazing Fireball!" Sasuke blew out a ball of fire at the ice. When he was finished, we all gasped to see that nothing was happening to the ice... Or Haku!

The ice mirror was on fire, but the ice wasn't melting... Uh-oh... And now the fire is gone...

"It didn't work at all!" Naruto yelled.

"It won't melt with that kind of firepower." Haku told us... His monotone voice reverberating throughout the dome. Haku took out three senbon, well, all of the Haku took out three senbon... Oh, shit. We're dead...

The ice mirrors all turned white, making us unable to see. Apparently, it was raw power light... Or something like that... And it pushed us off our feet. Then, after that, needles were thrown at us, cutting us up.

"Aahhhh!" We all screamed.

After that attack was over, the light went away, and we all had cuts on our bodies. Naruto's cheeks were now bleeding... And one of my arms and leg were bleeding. This really hurts...

"Damn it, where is he attacking from? Are those replications?" Naruto yelled. Wait... Are they replications? "Where's the real one?"

"This is bad..." I muttered. If only I knew better techniques, or if it was a one-on-one fight! We would have a better chance of winning then!

"Shadow Replication Technique!"

"Stop it!" Sasuke yelled.

There was a puff of smoke, and over 10 Naruto's were charging at each of the mirrors. "Then I'll destroy all of the mirrors and see which one is real, ya know!" But, before the Naruto's could even touch the mirrors, the Haku in the mirrors all came out, jumping from mirror to mirror. It was making me dizzy... And scared...

When Haku finished, all of the Naruto's disappeared in a puff of Smoke. The real Naruto was blown back on the ground. He was trembling, cuts all over him.

"This is a traveling technique that utilizes mirror reflections that only reflect me." Haku informed. "From my speed, you three look like you're standing still."

"That must be a bloodline limit technique." Kakashi-sensei gasped. Zabuza chuckled in response.

"Bloodline limit?" Sakura repeated in confusion.

"It's the same thing as my Sharingan." Kakashi-sensei... Are you really about to explain something to Sakura with the enemy right in front of you? "They are techniques that are only passed down through deep blood relations and through the genealogy of those with superior body structures."

"Does that mean..!" Sakura gasped.

"Yes. Even I cannot copy that technique." Well, it would be weird for you to do this, Kakashi-sensei. It just doesn't fit your appearance. "And there is no way to get past that technique."

"Damn it..." Naruto muttered, looking down. "So what..?" Uh-oh... Naruto's getting mad. "I can't die here... I still have a dream I need to achieve... The dream to make the villagers recognize me and become the Hokage!"

"Dream..?" The word seemed foreign to Haku as he just stared us down through that mask. That creepy, slenderman-like mask. "It is difficult for me to become a pure Ninja." What are you talking about? We were talking about dreams a while ago... "If it is possible, I do not want to kill you and I do not want to make you kill me. However, if you are going to fight me, I will kill my compassion with a blade and become a Ninja." Can't you just, like, leave us alone then? "This bridge is a battlefield that leads to the dreams of many people. I will fight for my dream." What is his dream again? I completely forgot... "And you will fight for your dream. Please do not hold any grudges." Grudges? We can't hold grudges if you kill us! "I want to protect an important person. I want to work for him, fight for him, and make his dream come true." Zabuza... What's _his _dream?! "That is my dream. In order to make it come true, I will become a Ninja." He held up a senbon. "I will **kill **you!"

Moment of silence...

"Sasuke! Naruto! Jalen! Don't lose to a guy like that!" Sakura yelled. Why don't you come in and help us, Sakura?

"Stop it, Sakura! Don't goad them." Kakashi-sensei ordered. For those who don't know, goad means to provoke someone, or to give heart or courage to.

"What?" Sakura asked in confusion.

"Even if there is a one-in-million chance to overcome that technique, they can't defeat that boy." What do you mean, Kakashi-sensei?! You don't believe in us!

"What? What do you mean?" Sakura asked. Zabuza chuckled.

"They still don't have the mental strength to suppress their emotions and kill someone." .

..True... There's no way I can kill Haku! Back in my world, we didn't kill for a living, ya know!

"That's correct." Zabuza nodded. God... So creepy. Stop talking! "A real Ninja is not trained in a peaceful village like yours. You can't experience the most important thing to a Ninja, the experience of killing."

"Then... Then what are we going to do, Sensei?" Sakura asked.

"I'm sorry, but I'm going to finish this quickly." Kakashi-sensei grsbbed his headband over his right eye. You finally want to fight, huh?

"The Sharingan?" Sakura gasped.

"The Sharingan, eh? How unoriginal..." Zabuza commented. He took out this weird kunai, running up and stabbing at Kakashi-sensei's Sharingan eye. Kakashi-sensei put his other hand up, the kunai stabbing his hand. Oh snap...

Wait... Why is Haku not doing anything to us? Is he thinking? Well, at least I can see this epic fight. I'll just wait Until Haku is ready, to be nice, ya know.

"As if!" I yelled, taking out three shuriken and throwing them at Haku. It's good to know where he is, too. That idiot forgot to reflect himself on the other mirrors!

This seemed to stir Haku out of his daydream and jump out the ice mirror just in time, slashing me in the face with his senbon.

"Augh!" I exclaimed, touching my now bleeding cheek.

"Jalen!" Naruto exclaimed in shock.

"That wasn't a smart move." Haku said as his body was reflecting in every mirror. He took out more senbon.

"Look out!" Sasuke warned as all the Haku threw senbon at us, cutting us up more than what was already done! It hurts so much, though, even though they're little scratches! They sting!

"Augh!" I yelled as Haku did it again, my body hurting all over.

"What the hell, ya know...!" Naruto exclaimed in frustration. "Shadow Replication Technique!"

All the Naruto's charged at the mirrors again. And for some reason, Sasuke kicked water in the air... What are you doing?! Do you think water is going to stop him?!

"You still don't understand that it's futile?" Haku... Shut up.

Haku struck again, leaving the ice mirrors to strike at Naruto, his clones, Sasuke, and me!

"Why me?! I didn't do anything! Ow!" I yelled after he brutally maimed me. I kneeled down, breathing hard.

"My chest." Haku answered. Oh yeah...

**~Flashback~**

_**The spikes of ice charged at both of us, but before Haku could jump away, the kunai I had in my hand broke his senbon, surprising him and stopping him from jumping away. I used this opportunity to slash his chest, blood squirting out from it.**_

**~Flashback End~**

Ah~. Good times... Good times.

"Aaaaahhhhh! Shadow Replication Technique!" Naruto yelled, charging at Haku as he did the hand seals. The clones all charging at the mirrors again.

"What a stubborn boy." Haku grabbed another senbon, charging at the clones again. Wait... Can't I just sense him? Why didn't I think of that?! Why didn't anyone think of that?! Well, I guess it wouldn't matter if I sense him or not... Because he would just keep moving faster and faster and faster and ugh!

Before Haku could kill the Naruto clones, however, Sasuke blew out some fire at Haku. Time seemed to stop as Haku gasped, narrowly avoiding the fire. Did Sasuke know? Did he unlock the Sharingan?!

Well, this still didn't stop Haku from continuing what he was doing and destroying the Naruto clones.

Haku was about to finish off the last one, when Sasuke blew out some more fire. This time, to my surprise, the fire hit Haku's pants leg. Yes! Now we can tell which one is the real Haku!

Haku hit down the real Naruto, bringing him to the ground, then going back inside the ice mirror.

I could sense him, and I could see the burn mark on his pants. Child's play.

"Naruto! Right there!" I pointed at the real Haku. "I sense him, and his pants are burned!"

Before Naruto could react, however, I guess Haku got worried and started another technique. The ice mirrors all turned white like in the beginning of this fight.

"Don't attack! Naruto, Jalen, run!" Sasuke yelled, doing hand seals. Huh? "Get out of here and attack from the outside!"

"O-okay!" Naruto and I nodded, but Naruto just had to add a "Ya know!" in there.

Naruto and I ran. I didn't know what Sasuke was going to do, or what Haku was going to do, but I still ran. We needed to escape!

"Will you be able to?" Naruto and I ignored Haku and just can't running. It was hard to run, since we were bleeding and sore and stuff... But we didn't care. We were desperate. So we kept running, even when the ice mirrors got brighter...

"Gah!" Naruto and I screamed, getting blasted back. What even is that?!

"I'm not going to lose!" Naruto exclaimed, grabbing me wrist and pulling me along with him as he ran again.

But, before I knew it, Haku was in front of us. I couldn't even grab a kunai, he just smacked us, making us fly back. He better not want us to leave! Isn't this kidnapping? Is he going to rape us soon?

"Damn it..." Naruto cursed. Sasuke had a needle stuck in his shoulder... What happened while I wasn't paying attention?!

"That was good." Sasuke took the needle out.

"What?! No that wasn't! You just got a needle to the shoulder, while we got smacked in the face!" I yelled. Man... I'm kinda tired...

"Let's do it again." No, Sasuke!

"Okay, ya know!" No, Naruto! "Yaaa!" Naruto's charged again, pulling me along with him... Why?!

And for some reason, Sasuke ran too. What kind of plan is this?! What's going on?!

"I won't let it happen the way you expect." Haku took out _another _senbon... Is that all he has?! "First, I'll stop you!" He threw the senbon at Sasuke's leg.

"Argh!" Sasuke stopped running, so Haku took this chance to throw more senbon at Sasuke. "Aaauuugh!"

"Sasuke!" Naruto yelled, stopping as well. I sense danger...

Haku threw senbon at Naruto as well, making him scream in pain. Wait... He didn't throw them at me!

I'm safe!

I'm alive!

But Naruto and Sasuke are dying... I need to do something! Haku is just waiting for my move... So annoying...

...

I don't want to do this... I really don't... I don't even think I have enough Chakra to do it, but... Haku is kinda giving me the chance...

Suddenly, and surprisingly, Sakura screamed. Way too loud. I even think the our village could hear that scream...

"Sakura..." Naruto tried to get up, but couldn't... Sasuke was up, thinking of a plan I think... How come Naruto is so beaten up and bloody, but Sasuke isn't! That makes no sense!

Ugh...

I don't know if I can do this... But I gotta try! I have to save Naruto!

"Naruto..." Ugh... How do I word this? Uh... "B-bite me..."

...

Yep. I think I've gone insane.


	11. Chapter 11

**Naruto: The New Story **

Chapter 11: vs. Haku!

_**Hey, everyone! Did you guys see the new cover picture for this story?! Did ya? Did ya?! Well, guess what?! That's Jalen! Yep, I hope he looks cool to you! Well, yeah... Just a random rant. Uh... I know I'm updating fast and everything, but since it's my summer break I have so much more time, ya know! Well, bye nii! **_

"...Huh..?" Naruto blinked in confusion. "What did you just say?" Well, he's talking normal, so maybe he's not all that hurt after all. Never mind~!

"I need you to bite me!" I whispered loudly, pulling up my sleeve.

"B-bite you, ya know?!" Don't act so surprised, Naruto! I know it sounds weird, but you need to do this! If Karin can do it, well, so can I!

For those who are confused, remember when Karin let Sasuke bite her? He would suck the Chakra out of her, refreshing himself completely. Karin would feel drained, though...

I think I could probably do that, too. I don't know, though, since it's a completely dangerous move that could kill me. I don't want to try it, but Naruto...

"I'm thinking..." I looked down. "Well, I read somewhere that someone with exceptional Chakra control could lend other people their Chakra... By letting the person bite them. I thought maybe I could do it... But it could kill me."

"Well, no then!" Naruto exclaimed. "Of course I won't bite you, not if it'll kill you!"

"But, you're hurt so badly..." If only Naruto would just hurry and turn into nine tails mode!

"I'll do something about this..." Naruto tried to get up, trembling as he did so. "Let's go..." He was on his feet again, but I can tell he was screaming in pain inside.

Sasuke and I stared at Naruto in disbelief. It was surprising to see someone so hurt get up and still try to fight...

What was I thinking? Of course Naruto wasn't going to die here... He can't die here! I wasn't going to let him, and I could tell Sasuke wasn't either!

"How futile." OMG HAKU! SHUT THE HELL UP!

Naruto did a hand seal, Chakra going around body! He then sent it to his feet, molding it as he ran. He was going to try to escape again?! Well, at least he's not pulling me into this again...

Haku wasn't going to let him have his way, though. He appeared in front of Naruto, still in the ice mirror, so Naruto just did a backflip, trying to escape another way. Haku followed him, going from ice mirror to ice mirror...

"Naruto! Behind you!" Sasuke warned. Naruto turned around to see Haku aiming his senbon at him. Before Naruto could dodge... Haku threw the senbon straight at his chest!

"Gah!" Naruto fell back on the ground, senbon sticking all over his body...

"It's impossible to get out of here." Haku told us. "I can assure you that."

Sasuke and I ran over to Naruto's body. Naruto was still on the ground... And it doesn't look like he has any intention to get up, either...

"Can you stand up, Naruto?" Sasuke asked. Naruto just moaned in response. "Don't ever waste your Chakra like that again. That's what he wants us to do." He then turned to me. "Got it, Jalen? You can't use that technique you were talking about. It won't help."

"R-right." I nodded. We are so screwed...

Naruto's just lying on the ground, Sasuke's just glaring off into space, and I don't know what to do! I'm genuinely scared... Because Naruto looks kinda dead... And Sasuke and I can't do anything about it...

"My eyes are getting used to his movement..." Sasuke told me. Yeah, and I can sense him, but that still doesn't help us.

"I'm going to finish this now." Haku appeared in the ice mirror in front of us. Now he can teleport like slenderman, too?! He's holding senbon in his hands... We're screwed.

Haku threw the senbon at us, but Sasuke just picked up a senbon on the ground and deflected them all. Good job!

"Stand up, idiot!" Sasuke yelled at Naruto, kneeling down.

"I know, ya know... Stop being annoying..." Naruto slowly sat up.

Five Haku's suddenly appeared in the mirrors in front of us, so I took out a kunai. This isn't going to be pretty...

They all took out senbon, throwing them at us. I started blocking them... But there were so many... A lot kept on hitting me...

I fell on my knees, not even trying to dodge or block the senbon coming at me. There were just so many... I'm so tired... And hurt...

"Gah!" I screamed in agony, the senbon all hitting me in the chest. I fell on my back, breathing hard. I can't do anymore...

"Jalen!" Sasuke exclaimed, still blocking the senbon. He should be the one tired here, since he's blocking for himself and Naruto, who was just standing there.

Sasuke pushed Naruto on the ground, then jumped up, senbon raining on the area they were just in.

Haku suddenly disappeared, but I knew where he went. I could easily sense him...

"He disappeared! Jalen, where did he go?!" Sasuke then turned to Naruto. "And you better not faint, Naruto! I can't cover for both you and Jalen for much longer!"

"Right above us." Is all I could say. I probably won't say anymore, either. I have zero energy left...

"I don't need your help..." Naruto mumbled, falling back on the ground.

"Looks like those boys can't move anymore... Hehehe." Oh God... Please don't rape us, Haku.

Sasuke looked up and threw a senbon at Haku, but Haku moved to another ice mirror, the senbon just bouncing off the ice.

"Wonderful." Haku said, making Sasuke turn to his left; the direction Haku was in. "You move very brilliantly." Haku took out more senbon, getting ready to throw them again. "You move a lot..." Haku threw the senbon at Sasuke, but Sasuke managed to dodge. "...But I will stop you with this next shot." Haku disappeared, then appeared again in a mirror by Sasuke. He kept doing this as he talked. "Movement, reflexes, and situation analyzation abilities... All that should be worn out!" Haku made a different pose with his senbon every time he moved to another mirror. It was like a fashion show.

Haku threw the senbon at Sasuke and Naruto, but Sasuke apparently saw that coming and grabbed Naruto, moving them out of harms way. I noticed Haku isn't throwing senbon at me anymore... I guess he forgot about me.

Sasuke dropped Naruto on the ground, breathing heavily. I really want to help, but I can't... Sasuke looked up and... And...

In his eyes, were the Sharingan..! They look so cool!

"Those eyes... Sharingan!" Haku exclaimed. "You are..."

"It was only for a little bit, but I saw it." Sasuke glared at Haku, his red eyes giving him a fearsome look. A bad ass look.

"I see... So you posses a bloodline limit ability." Heck yeah! You go, Sasuke!

Haku started doing what he did earlier, moving from mirror to mirror doing different poses... Like a photo album. A Haku album.

Haku took out a senbon and charged at... Naruto! He charged at the Naruto that was lying on the floor, half-dead!

Sasuke ran for Naruto, sending Chakra to his feet to give him the boost he really needs. If he's going to save Naruto, that is.

"Make it in time..!" Sasuke exclaimed, sending a **lot **of Chakra to his feet. Too much Chakra, really... I hope he doesn't waste it all...

Sasuke managed to get there before Haku, so Haku threw the senbon straight at Sasuke's chest! It didn't seem to faze Sasuke as he grabbed Haku's arm and threw the boy into the ice mirror! That was awesome! Haku is on the ground now, recuperating. That was so awesome!

But when I looked at Sasuke... He was coughing up blood. A lot of blood... I guess those senbon stuck in his chest got stuck a little too far.

"Really... You're a burden... All the time..." Sasuke mumbled.

"You did it, Sasuke..!" Naruto exclaimed, waking up, but gasped in horror as he saw the pool of blood in front of Sasuke...

I managed to get up and slowly walked over to them... I would have tried to attack Haku, but my whole body hurt... And I don't trust that he's really hurt...

"Look at you two..." Sasuke smirked, blood dripping from his mouth... "You... Idiots..."

"Your Chakra..!" I gasped. It was, like, his Chakra was disappearing inside his body! He's not supposed to die, right?! Right?!

"Why?!" Naruto demanded, horror written on his face. "You protected me..."

"Who... Knows..." His Chakra... Depleting! So very fast! "I hated... You."

"Why?! Why, ya know?" Naruto kept yelling. "Why did you protect me..?" Naruto clutched his fist. "**I didn't ask you too**!"

"S-Sasuke... Just l-lay down, okay?" What's happening? His Chakra shouldn't be going down, right? He should live, right?!

"Who knows..?" Sasuke ignored me. I... I see a tear in his eye... He didn't cry in the Anime, right?! "My body moved on it's own accord, idiot..." Sasuke fell back, his Chakra almost gone... He fell back, but Naruto managed to catch him in time.

"SASUKE!" Naruto and I screamed. I was crying, because I only saw a **very **low bit of Chakra in his system...

"That man..." Sasuke could hardly talk... "I didn't want to die until I killed my brother..."

"Sasuke..!" Tears were screaming down my face, now. I bent down next to Sasuke and Naruto.

"You two... Don't die." Sasuke slumped over, motionless.

...

No... I don't sense... Any of his..!

Naruto just stared at Sasuke, a single tear in his eye. He hugged Sasuke, the only things that could be heard were my cries...

...Sasuke is **dead.**

Even though all Sasuke wanted in life was to kill Itachi, even when he said he would do anything to do it, he forfeited his own to save Naruto!

...

"**You motherfucking bastard**!" I screamed, charging at Haku with shuriken in my hands. Haku was up now, but I didn't care. I was going to kill him! I'm going to **kill **him! "**You talk as if you're this sad person who wants to be pure or whatever**, **but you're just evil! You talk as if all you're doing is fulfilling Zabuza's wishes, but no one should be able to kill for another person! You knew what you were doing, and you did it for yourself! Not for Zabuza, but for yourself! So now, I'm going to kill you!**"

I threw the shuriken at Haku, but he just moved to another mirror. I noticed he had nothing to say, because he knew I was right! He knew, deep down inside, that I was right!

"**What do you even think when you're killing someone?! Do you think they won't blame you just because you tell them that?! No! You wear that mask because you don't want them to see your face as you kill them! So why?! Why are you killing people when you feel guilty?! Tell me! Why?!**"

I threw more shuriken at Haku, each time he mirror jumps I throw more and more. I kept doing this until I was fresh out of shuriken, so I threw all my kunai.

After I was fresh out of them, I guess Haku noticed and threw a flurry of senbon at me. I couldn't dodge, because I was still hurting, and I couldn't deflect them because I just threw all my weapons... I'm done for...

"Gah! Gah! Gah! Gah!" Haku decided to throw four rounds of them at me, blowing me back a few feet.

"Jalen!" Naruto shouted. I knew from his voice he was holding back tears...

I coughed up blood, and I didn't seem to stop. I hurt all over, and my vision was blurring...

Am I... Going to die?

"Damn... That was... Dumb." I coughed up more blood, my vision getting worse. "I'm... sorry... Naru-"

...

...

...

...

Huh? Am I dead? Or... Alive? I don't know... I just hear crying...

"...Jalen..." Is that... Sakura? Is she the one crying?

I slowly opened my eyes to see... Tazuna. He was standing over me, his eyes closed...

The crying got louder, so I turned my head to see... Sakura. She was crying over me and... Someone was beside me...

Sasuke. It was Sasuke beside me. So from all the information I have... Tazuna is standing over us, his eyes closed. Sakura was bent down over Sasuke, crying. Every once in a while she would say my name, crying louder each time...

"Sakura, you're heavy." That was blunt... And mean, Sasuke...

"Was I too cute to wake up... Again?" I asked, trying to sit up. I didn't make it, because Sakura hugged Sasuke and I at the same time. I didn't notice this before, but she smells kind of nice...

"Sasuke! Jalen! Sasuke!"

"Sakura, that hurts." Both Sasuke and I deadpanned. She _was _hugging us way too hard. Like, she thought we were dead, or something...

Oh yeah... I think she did...

"No! You mustn't move!" Sakura exclaimed when Sasuke tried to sit up.

"Where's Naruto..? And what happened to that masked guy?" Sasuke asked.

"Naruto is safe." Sakura answered. "And that masked boy... Died." Sakura had a mixed look on her face.

"Died? Did Naruto kill him?" Sasuke interrogated.

"No... I don't know the details, but it seems he protected Zabuza, and..." Sakura gave a sad smile. "I believed in you! You must have dodged the attack to avoid serious damage!"

"What about me?" I asked.

"I knew Sasuke would make sure you wouldn't die."

I sweatdropped. Stupid...

Sakura stood up. "Naruto!" She called out. It wasn't that hard to see him, since for some reason the mist was gone. "Sasuke and Jalen are OK! They're alive!"

Sasuke and I stood up, me stretching as I did so. Man... My body still hurts... Didn't I faint during the last battle with them as well? I really need to step it up!

And take these annoying needles out of my body.

"What?!" Naruto turned around and gasped as he saw us. I grinned as I put up a peace sign while Sasuke just waved. He's probably embarrassed, or something...

Naruto smiled, then started to chuckle. It was a sad, but happy smile. He really thought we were dead...

"Man, that was a hectic battle, though..." I yawned, stretching some more. "I really didn't think we would have made it." I turned to Sasuke. "I really thought you were dead... Your Chakra was all gone... So I snapped. I got really mad." I chuckled. "I did dumb moves, so Haku easily killed me. Well, almost killed me, I guess."

"Hn." Aww, Sasuke!

"Hey, hey, hey!" Huh? Hey... I just noticed that large crowd of people over there... "You guys are feeling _too _safe."

"Damn Ninja! You killed our source of revenue!" One bandit yelled. So, I guess Zabuza just killed Gatoh, and then died, and now those bandits over there are without a job. Hm... "Now we have to attack the town and steal all the valuables."

"Can someone blow those bastards up?" I asked, scoffing.

"Let's go!" One bandit yelled, all the bandits now charging at us.

Suddenly, an arrow came out of nowhere, and stuck into the ground right in front of the bandits. They all stopped running, in confusion most likely. I turned around gasped as I saw Inari... And his whole village behind him!

They all had arrows and arrow shooters with them.

"Anyone who gets any closer to this island will die facing the force of this island!" One villager shouted.

"Inari!" Naruto exclaimed.

"Hehe, heroes are supposed to come late!" Inari grinned.

"Inari... All of you..." Tazuna muttered, almost about to cry.

"Shadow Replication!" Naruto exclaimed, making four clones of himself.

The bandits all gasped. They piss me off. Kill them.

"I guess I can use about the same amount of Chakra as him and use it as a bluff." Kakashi-sensei! There is, like, blood all over you! Are you OK? "Shadow Replication..!" Kakashi-sensei made like... Fifty of him. No lie. Fifty.

...

Kakashi-sensei... You. Are. Boss.

"Shall we begin?" All of the Kakashi-sensei's asked. This severely scared the bandits, making them all turn and run away. They started jumping off the bridge into the water below... Idiots. I hope they all drown.

"Yeah!" The villagers cheered.

"Yeah." I monotoned, fist pumping the air.

Kakashi-sensei walked over to Zabuza, and started talking. I couldn't hear him because the villagers were still cheering. Kakashi-sensei picked Zabuza up and began to walk over to Haku's dead body.

I could have sworn Zabuza was already dead, though. Oh well.

Suddenly, it started... Snowing. It's snowing! I love snow!

Kakashi-sensei finally made it to Haku and lied Zabuza on the ground right beside Haku. He then walked back to Naruto as Zabuza said his last words to Haku. Even though Haku was already dead...

"He... He was born in a village where a lot if snow fell." Naruto started to cry. No, don't cry, Naruto...

"Is that a fact? He was pure white like the snow." Kakashi-sensei replied. "You can go there, Zabuza, together."

**~Line Break~**

"I was wondering, Kakashi-sensei..." Sakura started. We were all on top of a cliff at Haku's and Zabuza's 'grave'. Zabuza's sword was stuck in the ground, while flowers were put together for Haku. It was kind of sad, really thinking about it. "Does a Ninja really have to be the way they said a Ninja has to be?"

"Ninja are not supposed to seek their reason to exist." Kakashi-sensei answered. That's kinda sad. "It's important that they exist as a tool. That idea exists in Konoha, too."

"Does becoming a Ninja really mean that?" Naruto asked. "I... Kind of... Don't like that." Me neither, Naruto. This whole thing kind of reminds me of Danzo...

"Do you think so, too?" Sasuke asked Kakashi-sensei.

"Hm... Well, no." Kakashi-sensei answered. "That's why Ninja unconsciously suffer from that idea. Like Zabuza and that boy." His name is Haku.

"All right!" Naruto exclaimed. "I've decided, ya know! I'm going to follow my own way of the Ninja! I'm going to run straight down the path where I'm not going to regret anything, ya know!"

"Hehe, me too, Naruto!" I laughed. "I'm gonna be a Ninja that I wanna be!"

**~Line Break~**

"We've completed the bridge thanks to you, but we're going to miss you." Tazuna told us. We stayed one last day to get all our stuff, help with the bridge, and eat, but now we're finally leaving.

"Be well." Tsunami told us. The whole village was behind them... It's kinda sad to leave, ya know.

But, we would have had to leave sooner or later. But, the next arc is the Chuunin Exams, right? Ugh... I need to train for that...

"Thank you for everything." Kakashi-sensei thanked.

"Now, now, old man Tazuna, we'll visit you again one day." Naruto grinned.

"Promise?" Inari... Don't cry again... Just don't... Because I...

"Please... Don't cry... Inari." I sniffed, wiping the tears from my eyes.

"Inari... You're going to get lonely, aren't you?" Oh no... Don't you cry, Naruto! "You can cry, ya know. Cry..."

"I'm not going to cry! You can cry, too, Naruto!"

"Is that so..."

They just stared at each other, before Naruto turned around, crying.

"See you!" Naruto cried. Inari cried too. I could even feel a tear forming at my eyes. This is so sad...

We all began walking away back to our village. I guess this is it for the Waves arc...

"Alright! Once I get home, I'm going to have Iruka-sensei treat Jalen and I to ramen to celebrate the completion of this mission!" Naruto exclaimed. "Also, also, I'm going to make Konohamaru listen to my tale of bravery!"

"Then I'll..." Sakura thought for a moment. "Hey, Sasuke? Do you wanna go on a date once we get to the village?"

"No, I decline." DANG! DAAAAAAAANNNNGGGGGG! R-E-J-E-C-T-E-D!

"Oh, no..." Sakura sighed in sadness.

"Hey... Hey, I will." Naruto grinned.

"Shut up! Be quiet, Naruto!" Sakura yelled, grabbing Naruto by the collar and throwing him behind us. Don't get mad at him because you just got rejected, Sakura.

Ah~! I think I should take a break when we get back...

**~2 Hours Later~**

Can someone tell me why Naruto left his Ichiraku Coupon at Tazuna's house? And can someone tell me why Kakashi-sensei made Sasuke go and find him? Can someone tell me why they haven't been back for two hours now? And Oh Yeah... It's raining. Sakura is pissed.

**~3 Hours Later~**

We finally made it back to the village, and Naruto had a huge red mark on his cheek. Sakura got mad that she had to stand in the rain waiting for Naruto (and Sasuke) so she hit him. I laughed, cause it was hilarious. Anyway, we finally made it back, and Kakashi-sensei told me to go to the Hokage's office tomorrow. I wonder what's going to happen...

_**Guys... I just want to say... Watching this arc again... I cried. I really, really cried. I don't know what to feel... Hate, sorrow, or happiness... My feels, ya know! **_

_**It's sad, too, because when I watched the English Dub... I didn't cry at all. Probably because I didn't know the story as much, but people... You must really watch the end of that arc. Starting at episode 18. I have tears in my eyes as I'm writing this... Just too sad... **_

_**Anyway, I got lazy at the end of this chapter... Sorry, guys... **_

_**P.S. I hope you all kinda like my writing style! I hope it doesn't confuse you guys that much, but I don't really have another writing style! I'll be working on it, though. Well, bye nii~. Oh, and I hope Jalen looks cool to you guys! Hehe... **_


	12. Chapter 12

**Naruto: The New Story **

Chapter 12: Jalen's Day Out

"Hey, Jalen..."

Huh? Who is that..? And it's still early...

"Jalen, wake up, ya know!"

Ya know? Ya know..? Naruto.

"JALEN!"

"I'm up!" I yelled, jerking my head up. Unfortunately, since Naruto was right above me, we bumped heads... "Ow..."

"Are you OK?" Naruto apparently didn't get hurt, because he had his headband on.

"I'm fine." I yawned, getting out of the bed. What time is it, anyway? This seems way too early... "What time is it, Naruto? And why did you wake me up?" I better not have slept for more than a day.

"Oh, it's around 9:00." Naruto answered. "And I woke you up because Kakashi-sensei told you to go to the Hokage's office, right?"

I gave him a blank look. That completely crossed my mind. Well, it's not my fault... We just came back from a B Rank Mission! I'm pretty tired, and still sore.

"I completely forgot." I sweatdropped, running into the bathroom. I closed the door behind me and instinctively took a piss. After I was finished I took off my clothes and jumped into the bath tub, turning on the shower, and closing the curtains so no water would get on the floor.

I giggled as I remembered the day when Naruto slipped and hit his head on the floor, because he slipped on water on the floor. That was hilarious, but Naruto didn't think so. He was at the point of tears!

I got out the shower, having washed myself pretty good, and wrapped a big towel around my waist. I forgot to bring clothes in here, so I'll just get them after I'm finished brushing my teeth.

I grabbed the toothbrush, rinsed it off, and squirted toothpaste on it. I brushed my teeth for two minutes (I counted in my head) and spit in the sink. I rinsed off my toothbrush and put it back in the toothbrush holder.

"I'm done!" I announced, opening the door and leaving the bathroom. "Where are my clothes for today?"

"Dry off before you come out, ya know!" Naruto exclaimed, gasping as he saw the water drip from my body onto the floor. "You're going to make someone slip, ya know!"

"How do you slip from of a drop of water?" I smirked. "That would be a very clumsy person, ya know..." WHY?! WHY?! WHY?! Naruto gave me that bad habit of saying 'Ya know'! I don't say it as much as him, though...

"It could happen!" Naruto slurped up his ramen. He made me some as well, so I sat down at the table and ate. It was delicious! I just love ramen, because for some odd reason it just tastes so good!

"Done!" Naruto announced as he finished. I grinned, eating all the rest of my ramen a few seconds after him. "You lose, ya know!"

"We were racing?" I asked, standing up and throwing the ramen cup away. "I was just eating regularly."

"Hey, Jalen..." Naruto started, an indifferent look on his face. "Why don't you have any clothes on?"

"Well, I'm going to wear this towel all day, of course." I smirked, picking up my shirt and putting it on.

"You don't have to be sarcastic, ya know." Naruto grumbled, pouting.

I let the towel drop to the floor, putting on my boxers and jeans. I then put on my sandals and jacket. Well, Naruto's jacket, but we usually just share them.

I grabbed my headband and tied it on my forehead. I'm ready!

"Okay, I'll see you later, Naruto!" I waved, walking to the door.

"...Huh?" Naruto skidded in front of me, giving me a confused look. "I'm going, too."

"I was wondering why you had your clothes on..." I mused, walking past him.

"Don't just ignore me, ya know!" Naruto skidded in front of me again, his face inches from mine.

"Yeah..." I gently pushed him back. "Kakashi-sensei only asked me to go, so he'll probably just tell you to go back if you do come." Naruto just pouted in response. I actually do want him to come, though... "Don't worry, I'll come back as soon as I'm done, and we'll go out somewhere!"

"Ichiraku Ramen?"

"We'll get Sakura and Sasuke and bring them along, too!"

"...Sasuke?"

"Well, if you don't want him to come, we can just get Sakura." I shrugged, opening the door and walking down the stairs. "It's your choice!"

Naruto just stared at me as I walked down and onto the not so busy streets. I would know if he follows me or not, since I can easily sense him.

"Well... The Hokage's office..." I sweatdropped. Do I know where it is? I think I do... I just need to keep walking this road and I'll find it...

As I kept on walking, I saw a flower shop in the corner of my eye... A flower shop..? Ino works at a flower shop, right? Maybe she's in there..?

I looked through the windows at the cashier... And sadly, it wasn't Ino. It was a man with a long ponytail... Inoichi... Ino's dad...

"Oh well..." I sighed, putting my hands in my pockets as I kept walking. I guess it wouldn't matter if it was Ino anyway, since I would probably be too scared to talk to her... "I'm so pathetic."

"...It's _that _kid..." Huh? Is that gossip I hear?

"That's the one living with that demon?" ...Eh?

"I would feel sorry for him, but he seems kind of happy. Rumor has it that they're claiming to be brothers..." ...Huh?

"Ooh... That's awful. He must be a demon as well if he wants to be brothers with one..."

"Excuse me." I turned around, smiling at the two ladies who were gossiping about me. They both gasped and tried to act like they weren't just talking about me.

"What is it, dear?" The lady with the long brown hair smiled. I'll call her... Moka.

"You don't have to be polite to that boy." The other lady sneered. I'll call her Bitch.

"Were you two just talking about me?" I asked, my smile twitching in anger.

"Oh, of course not!" Moka laughed, but Bitch just sucked her teeth.

"You got a problem with it?" Bitch asked.

Okay... So I can let loose now, right? "Uh, I sorta do have a problem..." I glared at them. "Moka... You shouldn't hang out with Bitch, she'll just drag you down and turn you into a dog like her."

"...Moka?" She smiled nervously.

"What did you say, brat?!" Bitch hissed.

"I **said **that you were a bitch, cause you are one. An ugly one at that. Do you know how ugly you are? I'm surprised all that makeup can stand on your face without it burning off..." I smirked. "Now... Can you explain to me why you were calling me a demon? It was a demon, was it?"

"I called you a demon because you've been living with a demon!" Bitch... Oh no she didn't... Bitch _spit _on me. She _spit _on my face... "Are you sad?! Then go cry to your _brother _ the DEMON!"

"Huh, is that you Jalen?" Not the right time, Kakashi-sensei...

"**You look like your face caught on fire and someone stabbed you with a kunai. If you were twice as smart you would still be a dumbass**."

"You can't say that to me! I'll repor-"

"**Shut up**!** You'll never be the man your mom was!**" I hissed, my hand itching to grab my kunai and destroy her face!

Everything stopped. Kakashi-sensei paused. Moka paused. Even Bitch paused.

"Y-you... D-demon..."

"There you go calling people demons again!" I shouted. "Naruto is not a demon, and I'm not a demon! If anyone here is a demon, it's **you**! You deserve to burn in the deepest parts of HELL!"

"Jalen!" Kakashi-sensei grabbed my shoulder. "That's enough."

"Why is it enough, though?! She's lucky I don't kill her!" I screamed. "This is exactly what I'm talking about! All these people treat Naruto like shit!"

"Because he's a monster!" Bitch exclaimed.

"**WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU TO JUDGE**?!" I shouted, clutching my kunai. "Are you God? Hell no! So you have no reason to judge!"

"You bitch!" Moka yelled at me, smacking me across the face. "Don't you ever talk to an elder like that ever again, you bitch!"

"I'm gonna be the bitch that kicks your ass!" I screamed, getting away from Kakashi-sensei and charging towards the lady. She backed up, surprised, but Kakashi-sensei grabbed me again, walking away with me.

"Let's go... Let's go..." Kakashi-sensei sang in monotone, pulling me along with him.

"And you!" I pointed at Bitch. "If you ever spit on me again or Naruto, I will fucking cut off all your fucking skin and light you on fucking fire. Think I'm lying? I **dare** you."

"That's enough, Jalen." Kakashi-sensei did the body flicker technique, teleporting us in front of the Hokage's mansion. "What was that all about?"

"Those two ogres were talking about Naruto and I, calling us demons." I laughed evilly. "But I told you, Kakashi-sensei. I told you I would stand up to Naruto from now on!"

Kakashi-sensei hit me. He hit me on the head, hard.

"Jalen... You can't do that anymore." Kakashi-sensei put his hand on my shoulder as we walked up the stairs to his office. "You won't be punished this time, since I saw them spit and hit you, but I might not see next time." We made it to the Hokage's door. "Don't do it again, okay? Just ignore them, okay? I'll report to the Hokage what happened..."

"...Okay..." I sighed, looking defeated. I hate the people here... I really do...

"Good." Kakashi-sensei knocked on the Hokage's door. "Lord Hokage... This is I, Hatake Kakashi."

"Come in."

Kakashi-sensei opened the door, revealing Lord Hokage sitting in his chair. Paperwork was littered all over his desk.

"Hello, Lord Hokage." I greeted, bowing.

"Yes... I'm glad you didn't bring Naruto with you..." The Hokage smiled. "It would have been hard getting him out, and he would have still probably listened through the door."

Kakashi-sensei chuckled. "That sounds like Naruto alright." So... Why does this old man need me?

"Anyway, how are _you, _Jalen?" The Hokage asked me. How am I? What kind of question is that?

"I'm good, thanks for asking." I smiled. I hope nothing bad happens...

"Good... Good... Well, first things first... I want to apologize." Apologize? For what? "I want to apologize for the mission I gave Kakashi."

"The... Mission?" I gave a confused look. "You mean the one where..."

"The one when I told Kakashi to practically spy on you. If he didn't see anything suspicious, he would ask you up directly. You don't have to tell me what you told him, because he told me." The Hokage explained to me. "So, you are officially a Ninja today... You will take your Ninja picture and fill out the details on the form about yourself."

"Really?!" I gasped in happiness. I completely forgot Naruto did that when he became a Ninja! "Thank you so much, Lord Hokage!"

"Don't thank me. Thank yourself." The Hokage told me. "Without your skill, you would have been sent back to the Academy. But, you proved yourself to be a formidable Ninja."

"I'm here." A man with a big camera walked in the room. I guess that's the person who's taking my picture. "Where's the boy at?"

"Right here." Kakashi-sensei ruffled my hair. Hey... Don't do that, Sensei.

"Okay... Say cheese." The man put the camera on the ground, aiming it at me.

"Cheese!"

**Ninja Registration Form**

**Name: Uzumaki Jalen**

**Age: 12**

**Birthday: June 4**

**Blood Type: B**

**Village: Konohagakure **

**Affiliation: Team 7 (Kakashi)**

"That was kinda random..." I sweatdropped, walking down the now busy streets of Konoha. "I'm glad I'm a Ninja, though..." And I'm also glad they don't suspect me of anything anymore.

"Hey, Jalen!" I turned around, and to my surprise I saw Naruto running towards me. What is he doing? "Jalen, you're done!" Naruto put his arm around my shoulder. "So? So? Whatcha did? Tell me! Tell me, ya know!"

I laughed. "Calm down, Naruto... I'll tell you."

From the corner of my eye... I saw people staring at us and whispering. It wasn't a lot of people, thankfully, but... It still bothered me...

"Uh... The Hokage just made me sign my Ninja Registration Form, and take my picture." I told him. "But, yeah. That was all. It wasn't exciting or anything like that, ya know."

"Oh..." Naruto had a faraway look on his face. "So, we still going to Ichiraku Ramen?"

"Uh-huh." I nodded. "So, do you want to invite Sasuke or not?"

Naruto sighed. "If Sasuke comes... Sakura will be all over him, ya know..."

"So, we aren't bringing him!" I put my hands in my pockets. "So, where's Sakura's house at?"

"...Over here!" Naruto grabbed my wrist and sped off, pulling me with him. I need to remember everywhere we go, cause I don't want to get lost in this big village.

After about a minute (Naruto runs fast..!) we made it in front of a house. I guess this is Sakura's house...

"So..." I walked up the stairs to the door, knocking on it as soon as I made it up there. Naruto was right behind me.

"Coming!" I recognized the voice on the other side of the door as Sakura's. She opened the door and looked at us in confusion. "Jalen? Naruto?"

"Hello." I waved.

"Hiya~ Sakura!" Naruto grinned.

"What do you two want?" She asked. "And... Sasuke's not with you?"

"We're thinking of heading to Ichiraku Ramen. Wanna come?" I looked at Naruto, who seemed bummed out that she was thinking of Sasuke. "And we asked Sasuke already... He said that he... Couldn't."

"Oh..." Sakura sighed. "Well..."

"Please!" I begged. "Can you please just eat ramen with us? It doesn't matter if Sasuke's here or not, we can still have fun!" I need to do this... For Naruto.

Sakura just looked at me, then at Naruto, who was looking down, sadly. "...Well... Yeah, I could go."

"Really, Sakura?!" Naruto exclaimed, his energy coming back.

"Yeah. We can celebrate for completing our mission in the Waves." Sakura smiled. "Just let me get ready first." She walked back in her house, and I heard her talking to somebody. Probably her parents.

"Isn't this great, Naruto?" I asked, smiling.

"Yeah, ya know!" Naruto exclaimed. "Thanks a lot, Jalen."

"No problem." I shrugged. What kind of brother would I be if I didn't do this? A bad one.

"I'm ready!" Sakura exclaimed, stepping outside and closing the door behind her. "So, shall we go?"

"Yeah!" Naruto and I exclaimed, giving each other a look before grabbing her hands and pulling her down the stairs.

"H-hey! What's the big idea?!" Sakura yelled. After we made it down the stairs, we ran for Ichiraku Ramen, still pulling her along with us. "S-stop! Slow down!"

"Sakura? Naruto? Jalen?" Huh? That sounds like...

"Ino?" Sakura scowled. Ino! Ino?! Ino!

"What are you guys doing?" And she remembered my name!

"We were thinking of heading to Ichiraku Ramen." I answered. "Would you like to come with?"

"Ichiraku Ramen..?" She started to think. "Will Sasuke be there?"

"No." Naruto and I answered. I'm so tired of girls always wanting Sasuke... And he doesn't even care! It really pisses me off!

"Hmph. Aren't you on a diet, Ino?" Sakura... You are too. "Maybe you should just go get a salad or something."

"Shut up, forehead!" Ino shouted. "If anyone should be on a diet, it should be you! I'm starting to think Chouji weighs less than you..."

Sakura gasped in shock. "What did you say..?"

"You heard me..!"

"Okay! Okay! Okay!" I yelled, breaking up the fight. "Do you want to go or not, Ino?" I made sure to give her my puppy dog face... I really want her to go.

"Well... I guess I could go." Ino smiled. "I am kind of hungry... All these boring missions can do that to a person."

"You _would_ find a reason to eat..."

"What was that, Sakura?!"

Naruto and I gave each other a look, before grabbing their hands and charging for Ichiraku Ramen. I had Ino's hand, while Naruto had Sakura's hand. After a while we made it to Ichiraku Ramen, everyone taking their seats. (From Left To Right) Me. Ino. Sakura. Naruto.

"Man... You two... Run fast..." Ino panted.

"Tell me... About it." Sakura panted as well. After a while, they started to talk. I took this opportunity to talk to Naruto.

"Pss... Naruto." I whispered. I caught his attention and he gave me a confused look. "Do you have enough money to pay for Sakura?"

"Well... Well... I have a coupon, so yeah, I can pay for Sakura." Naruto whispered back.

"Good." I nodded. If we want them to like us, we can't let them pay for their own food. Luckily, I brought enough money for Ino and myself. I had some in my pants for some reason.

I looked over at Naruto in confusion, and was surprised to see him give me a thumbs up. Did he put the money in my pocket? Thank you... Naruto.

"So? Do you girls know what you want?" I asked. "Naruto and I will pay for you two, so don't worry about the price." Just don't get anything too expensive... But, Naruto has a tab here, so if they do and we can't pay for it, he'll just put it on his tab.

"Oh? That's sweet, Naruto." Sakura looked surprised.

"Yeah... None of my teammates would pay for me. That's so nice." Ino smiled. Ah... Her smile is so cute...

"Well... It's nothing..." Naruto blushed, scratching the back of his head. "It's the least we can do, ya know."

"Are you four ready to order?" The man in charge of this place asked. Augh! I think his name was... Teuchi? I really forgot...

"I would like large serving of miso ramen with roasted pork fillet!" Naruto exclaimed.

"I'll have the same thing." I sweatdropped.

"Hm... Can you give me a water please?" Sakura smiled.

"Aww... Come on, Sakura." Naruto pouted. "You can't come to Ichiraku Ramen and just order water. Get some ramen, ya know!"

"Yeah, Sakura." Ino added nonchalantly. "I'll have some Shio Ramen, thank you."

Sakura sighed. "I guess I'll have the same thing."

"Okay." The man walked to the back. "Two orders of Miso Ramen and two orders of Shio Ramen!"

"So..." What do I say? Sakura and Naruto are talking... So I need to start a conversation too! "Do you like your teammates, Ino?"

"Huh? My teammates?" Ino looked confused. "Well, I keep on telling Chouji to go on a diet... He won't. And Shikamaru is just so lazy! But, I like them. We've all been together since we were young."

"Oh..." I nodded. "What kind of missions have you all been through?"

"We've just been doing boring missions. Babysitting... Helping farmers..." She suddenly shivered. "Tora... That demonic cat..."

"Tell me about it." I sighed. "Naruto's face got destroyed by that cat. It took a long time to catch it, ya-" No! No! No! "Ah... Hehehe... Anyway, you haven't had one C Rank Mission?"

"Well... Yeah. But, it wasn't that fun. We just had to guard this lady from bandits... A little fighting, but nothing we couldn't handle." Ino answered. "What about you?"

"...We had a B Rank Mission." I answered, sighing slightly. "It started off as a C Rank Mission, we were supposed to guard this man from bandits, but he lied about the mission details because he didn't have enough money for a B Rank Mission."

Ino gasped. "Really? What happened?"

"While we were traveling to the Wave Country, two Chuunin attacked us. Our Sensei defeated them, but Naruto got poisoned. He managed to take the poison out by himself, though, so we kept going." I told her. "We made it to the Wave Country, but we were attacked by an S Rank Rouge Ninja. Our Sensei was captured by him, so we all had to fight the Rouge Ninja. We managed to rescue our Sensei, but before Sensei could kill him, he was rescued by his accomplice."

I explained the rest to Ino, and when I finished the food was ready.

"Here you four go." The man put the plates down in front of us, walking away.

"Yay! Let's eat!" Naruto exclaimed.

"Okay!" Ino, Sakura, and I exclaimed. .

**~Line Skip~**

"Bye, Sakura. Bye, Ino." Naruto and I waved.

"Bye, you two!" Ino and Sakura waved back, walking home. Oh, no! We didn't walk them home! Well, it's too late now... It's not like it's dark or anything, though...

"So... What now?" I asked. "It's not dark."

"I don't know..." Naruto shrugged. "Today was great, though..."

"Today's not over..." I reminded. He seems to be in a daze...

"...Jalen..?" Naruto looked at me, then grinned, evilly. "You like Ino, don'tcha?"

...

Uh-oh...

"W-what are you talking about?" No! I stuttered! I'm doomed! He's grinning wider now... I'm doomed!

"You _do_!" Naruto gasped, "It all makes sense, though! You wouldn't have invited her if you didn't like her! And at the Explanatory Meeting... It did look like you were looking at her a lot..."

What do I say?! I can't lie... It's too late for that...

"S-so what?" I looked down. "It doesn't matter. Anyway, what should we do now?" I tried to change the subject.

Naruto let me change it... For now... "I don't know, ya know..."

"Hey, you two." Naruto and I turned around to see Kakashi-sensei. What does he want? "We have a mission in two days. So meet me at the Village Gate in two days. That's all."

"Okay." Naruto and I nodded, and he disappeared. I really need to learn that Body Flicker Technique.

"Well, let's just go home." I said, walking towards Naruto's house. I remember where Naruto's house is from here, so at least I don't have to follow Naruto.

"Okay, ya know!" Naruto exclaimed, jumping beside me and putting his arm around my shoulder. He does that a lot. "We can play cards and games and stay up all night, ya know!"

"Sure!" I agreed, running away from Naruto. "But, you'll have to beat me there!" I knew Naruto could beat me, and I bet he knew too. But he still ran for his house, eventually passing me.

"Hahaha!" Naruto grinned. I'm not gonna lose without a fight, though...

**~Line Break~**

"I won..." Naruto sang as we walked in the house.

"Hardly." I snorted. "So... What should we do first, Naruto?"

"Everything, ya know!" Naruto exclaimed, jumping on me. How does he have so much energy?!

**~10 Hours Later~**

"We've stayed in this house... All... Day..." I was lying on the floor... Bored out of my mind. It's now 10:00pm... Which means we've been here for ten hours... Mostly all day.

"Uh-huh..." Naruto was lying on the floor, too.

"And I'm not even tired..." I sighed.

"Uh-huh..." Naruto said again.

I sat up. "I'm about to take a shower..."

"Uh-huh..."

I got up from the floor and walked over to the closet. I opened it and started searching for some night clothes. After about a minute of searching (We should really organize), I found a night shirt, night pants, and some boxers.

"Hey, Jalen..." I looked over at Naruto, who was looking at me. "What are we gonna do tomorrow?"

"Well, I'm still kind of sore from our last mission..." I began walking towards the bathroom. "So, probably just relax. We have a mission the day after, and I want to be ready for it."

"Hm..." Naruto lied on his back, thinking.

After I took my shower and brushed my teeth, I got in the bed. Naruto was taking his shower right now, so I can lie on the bed and have all the space I need... Until he came out... Then I'd have to give him space.

What if I fell asleep while he's still taking a shower..? Will he wake me up? Will he push me out of the bed? I wonder...

...

I'm starting... To get... Sleepy now...

...

_**I surprised you guys with this chapter, didn't I? I bet you thought I would hurry and start the Chuunin Exam Arc... Well, nope. Team 7 has plenty of missions before then, and... Jalen really needs to get more skilled before taking on the Chuunin Exams. So... Question For Everyone... **_

_**What do you think the next chapter will be about? I would love to hear your guesses. Well, Bye nii~!**_


	13. Chapter 13

**Naruto: The New Story **

Chapter 13: A Visit To T-T-The Hot Springs?!

"Jalen..." Naruto...

"Jalen... Jalen..." Naruto... Why are you singing my name? Why are you waking me up? And why does the bed feel cold?

"Naruto..." Huh? Wait... I'm not on the bed...

"Jalen, guess what!" Wait a minute, Naruto! Why am I on the floor?! Did... Did you push me off the bed!? "We're going to the Hot Springs!"

"...Eh?!"

**~Line Skip~**

"We're here!" Naruto exclaimed. "The Hidden Leaf Hot Springs, ya know!"

We're finally at the hot springs? It felt like an eternity walking here...

"...Eh... Naruto..." I slowly turned my head to look at him. "Why..?"

"Why are we here? Well, you said you wanted to relax, so here we are! We're going to relax our butts off, ya know!"

I sweatdropped. You can't relax your butt off, Naruto... You wouldn't be relaxing then...

"Yeah... But, um... You see..." I sighed. "Can't we go relax somewhere else? I mean... A hot spring is..."

Before Naruto could reply, however, someone called out to us...

"Naruto? And... Jalen, was it?" We turned around to see a boy with messy hair and... A dog. A... Dog? Oh, no...

"Kiba?" Naruto grumbled. I guess he doesn't like Kiba either. I personally **hate **Kiba.

"..." Should I say hello or not? I really don't like him... But I don't want to be rude... "Hi."

Kiba gave me a confused look before asking, "What are you two doing here?"

"We're here to relax, duh!" Naruto exclaimed. "What about you, huh?! Why are you here?"

"The same reason as you, dude." Kiba grinned. "Akamaru and I came here with Shino, Hinata, and Kurenai-sensei.."

"Huh? Shino? Hinata? Kurenai-sensei?" Naruto looked confused.

Suddenly, three people walked up to us. A girl with dark, short hair and pale eyes. Definitely Hinata. A tall boy with dark sunglasses and a sea green jacket with a high, upturned collar. Definitely Shino. And a lady with long, black hair and red eyes. Definitely Kurenai-sensei.

"N-N-Naruto..." Hinata hid behind Kurenai-sensei. "...And Jalen." Really?! You stutter and blush with Naruto, but then just act like that with me?!

Everyone noticed, too, except Naruto, and sweatdropped.

"Your name is Jalen, right? How do I know this? You introduced yourself at the Explanatory Meeting." I sweatdropped at Shino's greeting. So creepy... "My name is Aburame Shino."

"M-my name is Hyuuga Hinata..." Hinata greeted.

"And I'm Inuzuka Kiba!" Kiba grinned, like an idiot. "And this is Akamaru." Akamaru barked.

"My name is Yuuhi Kurenai. Nice to meet you." Kurenai greeted.

"So you three are going in the hot springs, too?" I asked, blocking Kiba out of my mind.

"Hey... Are you forgetting about me?" Kiba asked, like an idiot.

"Yes. Hinata, Kurenai-sensei, and I are going in. Why, you ask?" Shino... "Because Kurenai-sensei said we've been working too hard and we need a break."

"...You left me out, too, Shino..."

"Well, let's go." Kurenai-sensei announced. I looked at Naruto, who was just smiling.

I really don't like hot springs... It's just... Too awkward. And I don't particularly want to be naked in the water with a bunch of guys... Especially Kiba and Shino.

Come on, Naruto! Hear my telepathic screams! I don't want to go in there!

"Oh, hey!" We all turned around to see... Sakura and Sasuke. "There you are, Naruto, Jalen!"

"Sakura? Sasuke?" They ran up to Naruto and I. "What are you two doing here?"

"Kakashi-sensei told us to take a rest at the Hot Springs." Sasuke answered. "When we went to get you two, you weren't there. It's surprising you're here already." Oh, great. So even if Naruto didn't think of it, Kakashi-sensei would have... Ugh...

"Well, now we can all relax and get ready for our mission tomorrow, ya know!" Naruto exclaimed.

"Are you four done talking?" Kiba asked. "Let's go in already!"

...

Moment of silence...

"Did you guys hear something?" I asked.

"WHAT?!"

"Hinata, Kurenai-sensei, and I didn't hear anything. Why, you ask?" Shino... "Because nobody said anything."

"Are you serious, Shino?!"

"Are you alright, Jalen?" Sakura asked. "It's obvious no one said anything... Maybe you should get your ears checked."

"Y-yeah..."

"Even you, Hinata?!"

"Huh? What are you guys doing here?" We all turned around... Again... And to my surprise it was Shikamaru, Chouji, and Ino! "Are you all going in the hot springs, too? How troublesome..."

"Shikamaru? Chouji? What are you guys doing here?" Sakura asked.

"I'm starting to find a pattern here..." I mused. "Did your Sensei tell you to come here?"

"Yeah." Chouji answered, eating his chips.

"Are you guys forgetting me?" Of course not, Ino! Sakura is just trying to use my joke... She's so unoriginal, isn't she?

"Join the club..." Kiba sighed, putting his filthy hand on Ino's shoulder. How dare he...

"It seems all our Sensei's are sending us here for some reason..." I paused. "Hey, where did Kurenai-sensei go?"

We all looked at Hinata, who seemed to be hiding behind an invisible person... Wow...

"She was here just a minute ago!" Kiba exclaimed.

"S-she was here j-just a minute ago..."

"HINATA!"

"Now I'm really suspicious... Maybe we shouldn't go in." I smiled. This was perfect... Now I wouldn't have to go-

"Nonsense, Jalen!" Naruto exclaimed, grabbing my wrist and pulling me in the hot springs... "They probably just want us all to get a break! Isn't that nice of them, ya know?"

**~Elsewhere~**

Team Guy were at the Training Grounds, vigorously training.

"Can we go to the hot springs, Guy-sensei?" Tenten whined. "We train every single day..."

"No, Tenten!" Lee shook his head. "Rumor has it, if you train harder your chest will get bigger!"

"What are you trying to say?" Tenten glared, itching to grab her kunai.

"I'm trying to say we need to train so Neji's cross dressing can be more realistic." Lee explained, continuing his push-ups.

"I don't cross dress." Was all Neji said, continuing to use his gentle fist on the log.

Soon, Neji. In three years... You'll be the cross dressing master, much to your disgust.

**~Back With The Rest~**

"Ah... This water feels good, ya know." Naruto closed his eyes as he relaxed in the water.

I couldn't relax. As I said earlier, this was uncomfortable. Shino's bugs were in the water... Akamaru was splashing around in the water... And that filthy _mutt _was sitting across from me. And I'm not talking about Akamaru. I really couldn't relax like this.

So, as you probably guessed, I was up to my neck in the water. This was just too embarrassing... Especially when we first got in and I had to practically strip in front of everyone...

Sasuke, Shikamaru, and Chouji weren't in the water, though. They were cleaning themselves... Another thing I did not want to do.

"Hey, Jalen." Naruto looked at me. "You look stiff, ya know."

I didn't reply. I just gave him a thumbs up sign. This was so dumb... When are we getting out?

"Hey, Shino... Shino... Shino!" Kiba yelled, but Shino kept ignoring him. It was kinda funny... "Hey, what're you smiling at? Wasn't it you who started this?"

"I'm smiling at how Shino is ignoring you. And I probably did start this." I smirked. "Oh, silly me... I'm talking to no one."

"You wanna fight, newbie?!" Newbie? Is that what he really wanted to say?

"I'd beat you up anytime of the week!" I shouted. By now, we were inches away from each other, just glaring.

"Jalen, you're acting pretty weird. Why, you ask?" SHINO! STOP TALKING LIKE THAT! "Because you're glaring at nothing." Never mind. You're pretty funny.

"SHINO!" Kiba turned around and glared at Shino, then back at me. "Ya know, you're pretty dumb to be challenging me. I guess you really are an Uzumaki."

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Naruto and I yelled. Naruto was now right beside me, entering the glaring contest.

"It means your both stupid!" Kiba shouted. God, I want to punch him so bad. But, I usually have a saying. They hit me first, then I attack. Unless they do something that makes me completely furious.

Lightning was now coursing through our eyes into the other's.

"Naruto, you're acting weird now, too. Why you ask?" I give up... "Because you're glaring at nothing."

"SHINO!" Kiba was practically begging Shino to stop. Something I think Shino might not do in a while...

"Hey, hey, why are you idiots starting a fight with Kiba?" Sasuke asked, now getting in the water.

"He called us stupid!" Naruto exclaimed.

"You _are _stupid." Sasuke... Shut up.

"Haha. Even Sasuke says your stupid, your own teammate!" Kiba laughed. "That just proves it!"

"At least our teammate doesn't completely ignore us." I deadpanned, pointing at Shino. We all looked at him... He was playing with a bug in the water. He suddenly looked up at us.

"Jalen, Naruto, Sasuke... Why are you staring at me?" Shino asked us. Well, everyone important.

"Oh, no reason." I sang, looking back at Kiba. "See?"

"Grrr... Akamaru!" Kiba yelled. "Sick 'em!"

Akamaru suddenly jumped at me, but because of my super awesome Ninja skill, I smacked the dog away (CHA), and it flew away on the floor, whining.

"Akamaru!" Kiba looked defeated, but then glared at me. "You're dead!" He jumped at me...

**~In The Girl's Portion~**

"H-hey! Get off of me!"

"Leave Jalen alone, ya know!"

"I'll kill you, red-head!"

"Not if I kill you first!"

Sakura sweatdropped at the noise on the other side. She knew something like this would happen, but she didn't think Jalen would be involved in it. But, getting in a fight with Kiba? That's something Sakura thought would never happen!

"They are making a lot of noise, aren't they?" Sakura laughed nervously. _Those idiots! They're embarrassing poor, little Hinata and I! _

Hinata just sunk deeper in the water, turning red in embarrassment. She really didn't want Kiba and Naruto's brother to be fighting... What if they chose her to pick a side? Would she pick her crush's brother, or her teammate?

"Ha! My teammates would never be so childish as to fight at a hot springs." Ino boasted. _But in reality, Shikamaru and Chouji sound really lame right now... Why won't they fight someone once in a while? I'm gonna chew them out when we get out of here..._

_..._

"...The water is nice, right?" Sakura tried to start a conversation. _It's so boring! _

"...Yeah. I could relax in here all day..." Ino replied. _So boring! _

Hinata smiled to herself, relaxing in the water. _This is nice... _

"H-hey! Don't touch me!"

"Heh, you're hiding your junk for nothing! It's not like you have anything down there!"

"N-no! It's because you look like the sort of person who would want to look down there!"

"What did you say, red-head?!"

**~Line Skip~**

"Bye, everyone!" Ino waved, grabbing Shikamaru and Chouji's arms.

"We bid you farewell." Shino bowed, before Hinata and him started walking away. Kiba and I just glared at each other, before he walked away with them.

"Bye bye!" Sakura waved, before turning to Naruto and I and snacking us in the face.

"What the heck?!" I exclaimed, putting my hand over my throbbing cheek.

"What was that for, ya know?" Naruto whined, holding his cheek as well.

"For being idiots in there!" Sakura scolded. "You two embarrassed me in there... It was so awkward!"

"I don't think that's our fault..."

"Shut up, Jalen!" Sakura glared. She looked over at Sasuke, who was just standing there. "I couldn't even hear Sasuke in there! That's how you two should have been! And fighting? Of all things, you chose to fight?! In a hot springs?!"

"We're sorry, Sakura..." Naruto pleaded. Sakura just gave a 'hmph' as she looked away.

"We have a mission tomorrow." Sasuke told us. "We have to meet at the Village Gate at 1:00pm. Don't forget."

"O-okay, Sasuke!" Sakura gushed.

"Hmph." Naruto crossed his arms.

"Whatever." I put my arms behind my head.

We all separated. Sakura going one way. Sasuke going the other way. And Naruto and I going the last way.

"So... How do you feel about Kiba?" Naruto grinned. I frowned.

"I really, really **hate **him."

**~Elsewhere~**

"K-Kiba..." Hinata called out to the dog lover.

"Yes, Hinata?"

"I heard w-what happened in t-the hot springs..." Hinata turned red. "I-if you r-really feel that w-way about N-Naruto's brother... I... W-won't judge you..."

"Feel that way about..?" Kiba paused. "Ew! GROSS! NO WAY! I JUST **HATE **HIM!" Akamaru barked, just to add more emotion.

"Hinata, you're acting strange. Why, you ask? Because you're talking to nobody."

"SHINO! IT'S OVER! GAH!" Kiba gave up... It was all that red-head's fault...

**~Elsewhere~**

"So..." Kakashi started as Kurenai got back from her 'mission'. "What happened?"

"Your student, Jalen. Well, he seems to get along fine with everyone. Well, except my student, Kiba."

"Really..?" Kakashi mused. "What do you mean?"

"They practically fought in the hot springs." Kurenai monotoned. "But, about the mission..." She turned red. "I felt like such a pervert while I was peeking in there. That Jalen kid is a sensor, so I had to make my Chakra completely undetectable." She shuddered. "If I would have gotten caught..."

"You naughty girl..." Asuma smirked, smoking.

Kurenai looked at him, and for the past few minutes, beat the smoke out of him.

**~At The Training Grounds~**

"Guy-sensei!" Tenten yelled. "I demand you let us home! We've been here all day, and I'm tired!"

"Tenten! Training all day is just what you need for your youth!" Guy exclaimed, doing a pose.

"Yeah, Tenten! Why don't you join me in doing 1000 sit-ups?" Lee asked.

"Are you trying to kill yourself?!"

"...I'm going home." Neji stopped training, starting to walk home.

"Have a nice day, Neji!" Guy gave him a thumbs up.

"How come you let him leave?!"

"Neji! Remember to try on those dresses I sent you!" Lee reminded.

"I burnt them."

"Hahaha. Just the kind of youth a child needs." Guy laughed.

"To be a pyromaniac?!" Tenten yelled, practically tearing her hair out.

"Oh, and also, Neji." Guy stopped doing his jumping jacks. "Remember to meet with your therapist tomorrow."

"...Hmph."

Tenten just stared at her team in... Bewilderment. She really needed to see The Hokage about this...

_**Yeah... I hope you all liked this chapter. I got some ideas from Rock Lee and his Ninja Pals (Just finished the series today. So sad it's over...) Anyway, I advise you watch that show. Pronto. It's super funny. It's on my top favorite Anime list! **_

_**Oh yeah. I really do hate Kiba. I just do...**_

_**...**_

_**Bye nii~!**_


	14. Chapter 14

**Naruto: The New Story **

Chapter 14: Kakashi Love Song

"Urg..." I slowly opened my eyes. It's light outside, but Naruto's still sleeping... That's a first.

I sat up, looking at the clock.

"12:00..." I yawned, getting out the bed. Naruto stirred, but didn't wake up. He just rolled over to my side of the bed... Just like a little kid...

We have a mission today, so I'll get up now. If only this was a free day... Since Naruto is sleeping I could get more rest. Unlike every other day, where Naruto wakes me up constantly.

"Naruto." I sang, clapping my hands. "Get up. We have a mission today." He didn't budge, so I walked over to where he was and started to shake him. "Naruto! It's 12:00! Get u-" He jumped at me. He literally _jumped _on me in his sleep. And since that was probably the most surprising and scariest thing that happened to me, ever, I slipped. "Wah!" I fell on the floor, Naruto on top of me, _still _sleeping. "...What the heck?"

Good thing Naruto wasn't heavy, or we would have probably been on the floor forever. I pushed him off of me (He surprisingly still didn't wake up) and got off the floor, dusting myself off. I guess I'll wake him up when I take my shower and brush my teeth... And put my clothes on.

After I did all that, I walked over to the where I left Naruto... And he was gone! What the..?

"Gotcha, ya know!" Naruto exclaimed, putting me in a choke hold.

"Augh, Naruto..!" I grabbed his arm, smirking. "I got you..!"

I put my leg behind Naruto's and shifted my weight, making him trip and fall. I was still in the choke hold, though, so I fell on top of him. And since I fell on top of him, he loosened his hold on me, allowing me to wiggle my way out of the choke hold. He wouldn't let me get away so easily, though, so we practically wrestled on the floor for dominance. After a while, I managed to pin him on the ground, smirking.

"So... Whatcha doing?" I asked. He wiggled under me, trying to escape, but to no avail.

"You're getting better, ya know." Naruto praised. "But, I was still just going easy on you."

"Oh, really..." I mused, getting off of him and helping him up. "Anyway, remember that we have a mission today?"

Naruto gave me a blank look before looking at his clock. "...What time are we supposed to be there?"

"1:00." I answered, before walking to the kitchen to make some ramen. Ah... Ramen...

"Noo!" Naruto exclaimed, grabbing his clothes and running in the bathroom.

I chuckled. "Such a little kid..."

**~Mission Summaries~**

**Mission: D Rank, Pulling Weeds From Ms. Hitomi's Garden **

**Report: My team complained about the "useless" or "retarded" mission from the beginning, but continued to complain halfway through the mission. Naruto and Sasuke bickered all the way through the mission, while Sakura "molly-whopped" Naruto... I'm using Jalen's word of course. Speaking of Jalen, he was mostly smiling during the mission. He's a weird kid... **

**Mission: D Rank, Picking Up Litter Around The Village **

**Report: My team complained about this mission, too... And Sasuke and Naruto bickered again. But they got it over with fast with Jalen's help. Jalen directed Naruto to produce a ton of Shadow Replications... And Sakura and Sasuke picked up the litter around The Academy. I just noticed this... But Jalen just sat down during this mission... Smart kid.**

**Mission: D Rank, Walking Dogs**

**Report: Jalen hated this mission as soon as it started. I think he has a problem with dogs... Or something. And the worst part was, Kurenai's student, Inuzuka Kiba, walked by while Jalen was yelling at a dog... They glared and argued for the whole mission. They don't like each other... At all. They almost started fighting, but I broke it up. Naruto and Sasuke argued this mission as well... I think Sakura was the only one working hard this time. Our teamwork is really deteriorating with these missions... Lord Hokage. **

**Mission: C Rank, Defeating Bandits Outside The Village **

**Report: Did you read my last report, Lord Hokage? I **_**said **_**Jalen and Kiba hate each other... So why did you give us a co-op mission with Team 8? They argued and actually managed to fight the entire time. When the bandits appeared, I guess they started a rivalry or whatever, and practically mauled them all. The rest of us didn't have to do anything, just watch as Kiba and his dog tore through half of the bandits while Jalen defeated his side with hand-to-hand combat and explosive kunai. Jalen's improving... But just don't give us any missions with Team 8.**

**~Mission Summaries: Over~**

"Yo. Good work on your missions." Izumo praised. I think his name was Izumo... I forgot.

"Whew. Now I can finally eat Ichiraku Ramen just like I dreamed, ya know." Naruto grinned, putting his hands behind his back.

"That doesn't sound bad." Sakura mused. "Naruto, your treat."

"Eh?!" Naruto whined, but then shrugged. "Okay, that's fine. But you know..." Naruto turned to look at Sasuke. "Sasuke, how about you treat us for once?"

"Hmph. I'm off to go train." Sasuke replied.

"Don't be anti-social, Sasuke." I scolded. "We just had to fight bandits, isn't that enough training?" Although, I need to get my mind off of that stupid mutt. He really pisses me off... Maybe I should go train, too?

"You were the one that fought them." Sasuke reminded, closing his eyes.

"Then Kakashi-sensei can..." Naruto stopped as he looked at Kakashi-sensei, who was staring at something. We followed his gaze... And saw three ANBU escorting this weird looking lady. The two ANBU behind her were holding the rope that had her hands tied up, while the ANBU in front was leading them to wherever they were going.

"She's beautiful..." Sakura stared at her in amazement.

"She was captured, huh?" Sasuke looked at the lady with mild interest.

The lady turned her head around and looked at us, us looking back at her. We all just had a mini staring contest before she turned around, continuing her walk to wherever she was going.

"From what I heard, she's a kunoichi who disguised herself as a performer to collect information about the Fire Country." Izumo told us.

"What is going to happen to that person?" Naruto asked Kakashi-sensei.

"Well, she'll be interrogated to see what she found out." Kakashi-sensei explained. "And until she starts talking, they'll use whatever means necessary."

"Harsh." I deadpanned, not really caring. "Anyway, let's all get ramen!"

"I'm leaving." Sasuke... I dislike you.

"...I just remembered... I need to pick out some flowers..." Sakura... You irk me.

Sasuke and Sakura walked off, leaving Kakashi-sensei, Naruto, and I. Wait a second...

I turned around, and Kakashi-sensei was nowhere to be seen. I _thought _I didn't sense him.

"Well, that sucks." I mumbled, kicking a pebble on the ground.

"I'm still hungry, though..." Naruto's stomach grumbled. "Augh! Let's go, Jalen!" Naruto stomped off, me following him.

We made it to Ichiraku Ramen, and surprisingly, no one was there. Just the owner... Teuchi?

"Miso Ramen." Naruto and I ordered, sitting down.

"Sure." Teuchi nodded, writing down the order and giving it to his daughter... Uh... I forgot her name, too. I think it's Ayame... I'm probably way off, though. "Two orders of Miso Ramen."

"Hey, hey, Jalen..." Naruto called out to me, grabbing my attention. "We've been doing these lame missions for a while, now... Do you think we're going to get anything good ones soon?"

"I dunno." I sighed, tapping my fingers on the counter. From my memory, no. Unless they did some off screen missions... I never watch the fillers... So I don't know. I just know that after the Waves Mission, they do boring D Rank missions, and then the Chuunin Exams. I do hope it takes a while for the Chuunin Exams to start, though. I don't think I'm ready...

"Ugh! I want to do something fun, ya know!" Naruto exclaimed.

"Here you go." Teuchi served our food, putting the plates of ramen in front of us. "Enjoy."

"Woohoo!" Naruto clasped his hands together. "Thank you for the food!"

"Thank you for the food." I monotoned, still deep in thought.

We began to eat, but it was awfully quiet. All you heard was Naruto's slurping and the busy street.

Suddenly, Naruto turned around and spit out his ramen..! He spit out his ramen?! What the heck?!

"What's wrong?! Is it poisonous?! Did it have a bug in it?! Are you choking?!" The ideas didn't seem to stop, but Naruto didn't give an answer to any of them. He just gaped as he pointed at... Kakashi-sensei. And... Some lady? Wait... That lady has the same Chakra as the lady from earlier... Did Kakashi-sensei take her?! Are they on a date?!

We hurriedly left Ichiraku Ramen (Naruto's tab... 'nough said) and started following them. Secretly, of course. We didn't want them noticing us, although he probably does already. I don't care, though, since he's not doing anything about it.

We eventually started going in alleys and peeking out of them. It was a better way of stalking, so if Kakashi-sensei turned around he wouldn't see us.

"Hey, I sense Sasuke right around that corner." I noted, Naruto and I turning the corner to see Sasuke spying on Kakashi-sensei as well. "Well, that's surprising..." And I sense Sakura close by...

"So, you're curious, too." Naruto asked.

"No, it's not like-"

"It's that person." Sakura interrupted him, coming out of nowhere. It's ironic we're all here... At the same place... At basically the same time... Doing the same thing... "You remember the one we saw at the gate, the one they say is a spy."

"Ahh, that pretty lady." Naruto remembered.

"Why's Kakashi with that person?" Sasuke asked. We were now out of the alley, looking at them right in the open. Naruto and Sakura looked at each other, before running towards them. "H-hey!" Sasuke called out, running with them.

I just leisurely walked behind them... No reason for me to really get into this.

We hid into another alley and watched as the lady blushed when Kakashi-sensei looked at her. Sakura "awww'd"while the rest of us stared in awe. Was Kakashi-sensei gonna get lucky?

We kept stalking them, and jumped into the bushes behind them when they stopped at a rest place. It's surprising he hasn't seen us, yet.

"Come here." Kakashi-sensei told the lady, who was keeping her distance from him. Oh, snap... He's the demanding type... "It's not like I'm trying to pull information out of you..." Information out of her? What? "I just asked to spend the day with you is all. Once the day is over, so is my role."

"So he only wants a one night stand?" I whispered.

"That... Bastard!" Sakura whispered, but then giggled. "Nah... That can't be true..."

"What will happen to me?" The lady asked.

"Who knows." Kakashi-sensei sighed.

"Is this some type of forbidden love?" I whispered.

"Who knows." Naruto copied Kakashi-sensei.

"That cloud looks like Naruto, and the next one... Is it Jalen? Or Sasuke?" Kakashi-sensei talked while looking up at the sky, making our hearts skip a beat from having our names called.

"To me... I see my father and mother who gave me life. Although, I never met them." That's just like Naruto... "Through bad times and sad times, I always looked at the clouds. I'd just stare at them and imagine the shapes, like my village and my parents who were bound to live there. If I didn't, I wouldn't be able to endure it. Knowing nothing about my parents or village, perhaps I was destined to become a spy when I was born?"

"I can't really hear them well..." Naruto whined. Really? I can hear them good.

"Me too. But those two look like they have something good going on." Sakura... They don't seem to be on a date... From what I can hear...

"Hmph. How foolish..." You can always leave, Sasuke.

"Let's get closer, ya know." Naruto grinned. I sighed as we all agreed, quietly moving up to the tree right beside the two.

I couldn't hear what they were saying when I was moving, but now that I'm up in the tree... Things seem to be going great.

"...Because you are always in my heart, you are my hope." The lady blushed, looking down. Kakashi-sensei just looked unfazed, not even looking at her. How rude... So he does just want a one-night-stand, eh? I think those porn books he reads are finally showing up in his life, that bastard.

"Oh, looks like things are heating up, ya know..." Naruto bent down, trying to hear more of the conversation. Wait... Can this tree really hold all of us? I don't think bending down would be...

"Wai-!" Sakura tried to warn Naruto, but it was too late. The tree branch under him broke. "Stupid Naruto!" ...And since we were all right beside Naruto...

"Aaaahhhhh!" Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke, and I screamed, falling down from the tree on to the two below us.

Thud!

We all hit the ground with an unsatisfying thud, trembling from the shock. God... That really hurt... A lot... I don't even feel like getting up...

But I did get up, along with my team... And we just stared in shock at the scene playing out in front of us...

Kakashi-sensei was on top of the lady... And they were kissing. Well, it wasn't a real kiss... More like an accidental kiss. If it was a real kiss, Kakashi-sensei would have removed his mask. I'm thinking when we fell from that tree, we knocked over Kakashi-sensei onto the lady...

Naruto and I turned red in embarrassment, recalling that time when Sakura the bitch pushed me on top of Naruto and... Yeah... I don't like thinking about it.

They just stayed in that position for a while, before Kakashi-sensei realized what was happening and swiftly got up. He glared at us, his Sharingan eye showing.

"Hey, you guys!" Kakashi-sensei yelled. I understand how you feel, but at least it was with a girl, Sensei. And she's pretty, too.

"Ah, w-well..." Naruto stuttered, not knowing what to do or how to respond. None of us did, really. Naruto spotted the flowers in Sakura's hands and grabbed for them. "Ummm... Gimme, gimme, gimme..." Sakura tried to fight back for the flowers, but Naruto wouldn't have it. He took the flowers from her and held them in front of Kakashi-sensei. "C-C-Congra-Congratulations, ya know!" Naruto smiled, trying to play everything off.

I even added a "Ta-da" to make it more believable.

"Huh?!" Kakashi-sensei gave us a blank look while the lady stood up, smiling. See?! She liked the taste of your mask, Sensei! So don't be embarrassed!

"Thank you." The girl smiled prettier, making all of us blush. I think she's even prettier than Ino...

We all just stared at her before laughing, Sasuke whistling like he didn't see or do anything.

**~Line Skip~**

After Kakashi-sensei explained to us that he wasn't dating the girl and the real reason she was even here, we were summoned to The Hokage's Office. Not literally summoned... I mean, we were called there. Ino's father came and told us, to be exact.

So, I'll explain to you everything I know.

The lady was sent from the Lock Village to gain Intel on our village, but was found out and captured. That's when we first saw her being escorted by ANBU to get interrogated. Apparently, Ibiki (The Interrogator) couldn't get her to talk... And Inoichi couldn't find anything about her in her mind... Like her memory has been deleted or something. So Kakashi-sensei offered to walk her around the village, since being in the interrogation room all day is unpleasant. And... Yeah.

We were now in the Hokage's Office, in front of The Hokage himself and his aides. We were all standing in a vertical line in front of them. We being: Kakashi-sensei, Sakura, Naruto, I, Sasuke, Inoichi, and Ibiki.

"The Lock Village has captured Riichi, a Jounin from our village." The Hokage told us.

"The Lock Village?" Ibiki, if you don't know about the Lock Village, start reading my FanFic. I just explained everything to my loyal viewers, you idiot.

"The one where that kunoichi, Hanare, came from." Inoichi explained. Oh yeah, her name is Hanare.

"Yes." The Hokage nodded. "In addition they requested an exchange between Riichi and Hanare. On the bright side, Hanare has almost no information on the Fire Country and Konoha. In which case, we'll let her go."

"No! Don't do it!" Kakashi-sensei exclaimed. Uh-oh... So he really does like her? "She's... I'm against returning Hanare."

"...Then you don't want to save Riichi?" The Hokage asked.

"No... I do... It's just... She has information on our village. She has a technique that reads the mind of anyone who enters her mind, so she knows everything Inoichi knows about the village."

"Then we will continue with the exchange... And then recapture Hanare." The Hokage ordered.

**~Line Skip~**

We were now all standing on the opposite side of a bridge, Hanare standing by Kakashi-sensei. On the other side of the bridge were people from the Lock Village... And I could see a Konoha Jounin with them. I guess that's Riichi.

"The chances of transformation are zero." Some man with the Byakugan informed us. "Make no mistake, it's Riichi."

"Right then, one person from each side shall be the escort and the exchange shall be made at the center of the bridge." One old man from the other side yelled. "Is that clear?!"

"Understood!"

Kakashi-sensei nodded, Hanare looking down sadly.

"Kakashi-sensei..." Naruto started.

"To think that things would end up like this." Sakura said.

"It's kind of sad..." I mumbled.

Kakashi-sensei and Hanare both walked to the middle of the bridge, the old man and Riichi doing the same. When they made it, Kakashi-sensei and the old man nodded, and Hanare and Riichi walked to their respective sides.

Suddenly, and I mean super suddenly, Kakashi-sensei pulled out a kunai. And then... And then the bridge exploded! It was covered with explosive tags!

"Hanare! You must bring back the information on Konoha at all cost! Run!" The old man yelled. Hanare nodded, and tore off her dress, revealing Ninja clothing! She was a double spy!

Hanare jumped off the bridge and landed on the water, running away.

Ibiki, Inoichi, and the two other Jounin that came with us jumped for the falling apart bridge, about to start fighting.

"It's started, ya know!" Naruto exclaimed, all of us nodding and chasing after Hanare.

She was water running while my team was rock jumping, chasing her. Suddenly, the old man appeared in front of us, blocking our path.

"Time to resign, pops, ya know." Naruto frowned.

"Don't underestimate the Lock Ninja." The old man told us. I took out a kunai, getting ready for whatever he was planning on doing. "Once a key is locked - it won't be opened, even by death!"

"He's building up Chakra." I told the team, making everyone get ready for an attack. But instead of an attack coming... He exploded in a puff of white smoke!

While the smoke was clearing, I closed my eyes and tried to sense where Hanare ran off to. I found her, and Kakashi-sensei was chasing after her. Good, so the team and I will handle this old guy.

But, there was no old guy! His Chakra, everything, he's gone! I guess he was a decoy... Or something.

"He's gone. Let's go." I told them, running off for where Kakashi-sensei and Hanare are.

But, when I got there, she was gone. It was like her Chakra just disappeared, or something. Only Kakashi-sensei was there, just looking down the cliff he was on.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto called out to him.

He turned around and looked at us, giving us a blank look.

"Where's Hanare?" Sakura asked. Kakashi-sensei didn't answer for a while, he just stared at us, but he then turned around and sighed.

"Ah, she gave up after being cornered and fell off the cliff." Kakashi-sensei told us. Ah, seems legit. "A splendid shinobi."

"It can't be..." Sakura looked sad. Why? She was an enemy... But I see where she's coming from... It is kinda sad when you think about it.

"Are you alright with this, Kakashi-sensei?!" Naruto asked. "If Nee-chan really did love you, then..."

"Stop it!" Kakashi-sensei ordered, looking down. "How worthless."

Worthless? That's a sad way to think about it... Sensei...

I wonder... Was this an episode? I don't watch fillers... Maybe I should have... Then I'd know everything... Do I really want that? I wonder...

_**So... I'm going to make it so Jalen hasn't seen the filler episodes. It makes things more interesting, ya know... Because I don't want Jalen knowing everything! Even though he forgets a lot as it is...**_


	15. Chapter 15

**Naruto: The New Story **

Chapter 15: The Man Who Died Twice

"Dammit, it's starting to rain, ya know!" Naruto exclaimed as he and I jumped on rocks, trying to get back to the village. "We'd better hurry back!"

After that mission with Hanare, Naruto and I decided to train. We tried to convince Sakura, Sasuke, and even Kakashi-sensei to, but they all declined, heading back to the village. Naruto and I stayed, training our butts off, but after a couple of hours it was getting dark, so we started walking home. We were now running home, because it was raining pretty hard.

"If only we just went home! This wouldn't be happening, ya know!" I yelled at him.

"You stayed on your own free will! You wanted to train, too!"

"Because we didn't fight at all during that mission! It was kind of... Lame!" I sighed, jumping on another rock. I hope I don't slip... Or I'll probably die.

"Ah... Oh... Ahhhhhh!" Naruto screamed. The rock he jumped on crumbled off, so he was now falling!

"Naruto!" I screamed, jumping off the rock I was on to go and save him.

After a while of falling (Why were we up so high in the first place?), Naruto fell on the ground, groaning. I landed beside him (I'm so awesome!) and bent down, desperately shaking him.

"Naruto! Naruto!" I kept shaking him. He seemed to be knocked out! "Naruto, please! Wake up!"

"...Ouch..." Naruto groaned, waking up. He slowly sat up, rubbing his head.

I sighed in relief, glad he's all right.

"AAAAHHHH!" He screamed, realizing where we were. Wait... How did we get inside of a cave? Did we fall inside a hole or something?

A-and... W-what's that dark... C-creature looming over us?!

"W-what's that..?" Naruto and I asked each other, trembling in terror. But, as the smoke around us cleared (Why is there smoke in this random cave?), we could see it was just a rock.

"Oh, just a rock, huh?" Naruto stood up, walking towards the rock.

"Naruto? What's ya doin'?" I asked as he started examining the rock.

"Huh? What's this?" Naruto asked, touching the rock. I ran over to him, and saw him touching a piece of paper on the rock... Why is there a piece of paper on a rock? "Kisuke..." Naruto read out, wiping the paper to read the rest. "...I can't make out the rest..."

"Naruto... Don't rub it too much, cause I think it might be a explosive tag... So if you tear it off it might explode." I told him, placing my hand on the tag.

"Oh, shit!" Naruto and I exclaimed. He tried to rub it one more time, but since my hand was there he rubbed that... Causing us to tear the tag off... I was getting ready for an explosion, but none came...

"Nothing happened..." I sighed in relief, but suddenly, we heard a wolf or dog howling!

"Ack! Uh..." Naruto swiftly put the tag in his pocket. "We'd better get back!" Too late. I'm already running for the exit. I'm _not _getting eaten by some random wolf! Nope!

We made it back to the village, which was hard since it was so dark. I didn't want to step on a snake or anything in the woods... And we kept on hearing wolves in the background, freaking Naruto out.

We walked in the house, soaking wet. But this time, Naruto didn't complain about getting his floor wet. He just grabbed his night clothes and walked into the bathroom, turning on the shower.

After he got out, I got in, taking a shower and brushing my teeth.

"I'm exhausted..." I whined, plopping in the bed. Naruto was already in the bed... I'm guessing he's tired, too.

"Goodnight." Naruto mumbled, turning so his back was facing me. I did the same, closing my eyes. At least we don't have a mission tomorrow...

...

"**AAAAAHHHHHHHH!**" Naruto screamed, waking me up. I quickly sat up, terrified. What the hell was wrong with him?!

"What the fuck, Naruto!" I yelled, hitting him in the head. "You don't wake somebody up at..." I glanced at the clock. "3:00 in the fucking morning!"

I'm sorry... I'm a bad-mouth super early in the morning... I just hate being woken up early... Especially at 3:00...

"Ow! No look, ya know!" Naruto held his head with one hand and pointed at... The ceiling with his other.

"What the hell is wrong with the ceiling?!" I asked, still cranky.

"You don't see the man sitting on our bed?!" Naruto asked me, getting mad now. Why is he getting mad?!

"Man on our bed?! We're the only ones on the bed..." I sighed, deciding to calm down. "Are you trying to play a joke on me, Naruto? Cause I don't mind if you do, just don't do it again this early..."

"No!" Naruto looked desperate now. "He's sitting right there!" He pointed to the end of the bed. "Right there, right there, ya know!"

"...You're saying..." I massaged my temple, trying to stay calm. "There is a man... Right now... Sitting on the end of our bed..." Naruto nodded. "A-ask him if he's a Ninja..."

"A-are you a Ninja?" Naruto asked this magical man I cannot see. After a while, Naruto turned to me. "He said he doesn't know."

"What the hell?!" I exclaimed, shaking Naruto. "Are you OK?! This whole thing makes no sense! How come you can see him and I can't?! And why is he even here?!"

"...H-he says he woke up here, ya know!" Naruto answered after looking at the invisible man.

"WHAT?!" I laid back down in the bed, giving up. "Okay... Just ask him questions and stuff. Make sure he's not a pedophile, okay? And don't wake me up about such things again, okay?" I spotted that tag Naruto pulled off the rock earlier... Or yesterday... I don't know! "Oh yeah... That tag..." I ignored Naruto's jabbering (He was talking to the man... Or himself... I don't know anymore.) and reached for the tag on the table. As soon as I touched the tag... I... Heard... Another voice...

"...I hope he's alright. I wonder why he couldn't see me..."

"WHO WAS THAT?!" I asked, turning around.

Naruto was giving me a skeptical look... And... The man who was sitting at the end of our bed looked frightened at my outburst. He had a ghostly glow to him... Ghostly... Glow...

"...Ghost." I muttered, and then fainted.

**~Line Skip~**

"Don't get so depressed." Naruto put a cup of tea in front of the ghost... Ghost...

After I fainted, the ghost apparently didn't know he was a ghost, and got all depressed when he found out. When I came to, it was morning time... And the ghost was still depressed, sitting at our table.

Naruto and I was still in our night clothes, and I was keeping my distance from the... Ghost...

"I guess it's hard not to..." Naruto slowly walked away from the ghost, coming to me. "Jalen... What should we do..?"

"I don't know... This whole thing just makes no sense to me..." I scratched my head. "What kind of ghost just finds out he's a ghost? It's just so... Dumb.,."

"That is kinda strange..." Naruto walked back over to the ghost. "Hey, mister, you don't remember dying?"

"...That's right!" The man/ghost gasped.

"...What is?" Naruto asked.

"I can't remember anything." The man/ghost deadpanned. Naruto dropped to the floor... Anime style! I sweatdropped. "I can't even remember my own name!"

"I've never heard of a ghost with amnesia!" Naruto and I exclaimed.

"Me too." The man... You know what... I'll call him a ghost. "Did you two do something to make me haunt you guys?"

"Why would we, ya know?!" Naruto yelled. "I don't even know who you are! Do you, Jalen?"

"Nope." And that says a lot, considering I watched the show. Is this an episode or something? I wonder...

"Okay, then! Why would are have done something to you?!" Naruto asked. He then gasped. "Ah!"

"What?" The ghost asked.

"Come to think of it, last night... Back in the hills, I peeled off a weird tag..."

"A tag?" Naruto ran over to the bed to get it. "And that turned me into a ghost?"

"Here it is!" Naruto placed the tag down on the table.

"Kisuke..." The ghost read. "Am I Kisuke?"

"Probably..." I sighed, getting some clothes and going into the restroom. I'll just take a shower... And they'll probably solve all that when I'm out.

**~Line Skip~**

They didn't. Naruto said that he's still here because of his... Lingering possessions? I forgot... Anyway, we're walking though the village now... And I had to come with him...

"Looks like Jalen and I are the only ones who can see you..." Naruto mused. The man was just floating behind us... So creepy...

"So only you two, who broke the seal, can see me." The ghost mused. "That means the only two I can rely on is you two, Naruto and Jalen."

"I guess we'll just have to ask around a bit, then..." Naruto sighed.

And we did ask around... A lot. When we got desperate, we even asked a cat. A cat! I was actually thinking it was going to talk... A little bit...

"No one knows you, mister, ya know..." Naruto grumbled, tired of searching.

"You must have been _really _unpopular." I grinned. "Like... A lonely man living on the street unpopular."

"No use then..." The ghost sighed.

"Hey, I know!" Naruto gasped.

**~Line Skip~**

"You can't see him." Izumo told us. "The third isn't here."

We were in front of the Hokage Building, because Naruto thought The Hokage knew everyone. Unfortunately, however, I guess he's not here... Since Izumo and... Kotetsu? I think that's his name. Anyway, cause Izumo and Kotetsu were guarding the place.

"Did something happen?" Naruto asked.

"He's attending an important meeting." Izumo answered.

Naruto sighed while the ghost looked sad. "I figured old man Hokage might know something..." We started to walk away, the ghost floating behind us. "Ah, well, guess we'll try someone else..."

"I don't think he would have known anyway..." I told them. "And I doubt anyone else knows."

And I was right. No one... In the WHOLE village... Knew who this mysterious man was... Is that sad, or what? I'm starting to think he wasn't from this village...

"No luck..." Naruto groaned, leaning on the railing. We were on a short bridge, and there was no one by us. A perfect place to talk to a ghost at.

"I wonder if I'll ever get my memories back..." The ghost sighed.

"Cheer up, mister, ya know!" Naruto tried to reassure the ghost.

"Hey, Naruto! Jalen!" That sounds like... Sakura.

"Sakura?" Naruto and I turned around, looking at her in mild interest. Can't she tell we're having a important conversation with a ghost? She didn't even say 'excuse me'!

"You two missed today's exercises!" Today's exercises? What is she talking about? "What are y'all dawdling around here for?!"

"What are you talking about?" I asked. She frowned at me.

"Naruto was supposed to tell you! I guess he didn't!" She looked at him accusingly.

"Ah! I completely forgot!" Naruto exclaimed.

"That's no excuse!" She slapped him, then grabbed his cheek, pulling it. How violent... Wouldn't you want to be alone with Sasuke, anyway?

"No, we're in a real pinch, ya know!" Naruto told her, his cheek now red.

"What do you mean?" Sakura asked, her hands on her hips.

"See! This..." Naruto, you idiot... "Ah, right, Jalen and I are the only ones who can see him..."

"Naruto, you're making us sound schizophrenic..." I whistled, putting my hands in my pockets and looking away.

"You're not making any sense." Sakura's voice deepened. "If you keep missing practices, I'm gonna tell Sensei." So... You practice without Kakashi-sensei?

"U-understood, ya know..."

"Geez..." Sakura walked away. "And we have a mission tomorrow. Meet at the gates at 1:00."

"Such a busy schedule we have." I sighed, contemplating if I should walk with her. This is really just too much to be doing...

"Man, what have we gotten ourselves into, ya know..." Naruto sighed.

"Lesson Learned Today: Don't pull tags off of rocks. Don't even touch them." I advised, starting to walk away.

Naruto laughed, following me. "Yeah, at least we learn something new every day."

"HEY! YOU TWO JUST CAN'T LEAVE ME!" The ghost yelled from behind us. Um... Yes we can.

"Ah." Naruto looked up and then started to run. "Hey! Wait, Sakura!" The ghost and I looked at each other skeptically, before following Naruto.

"Now what?" Sakura, no need to be rude.

"Sakura, do you happen to know anyone named Kisuke?" Naruto asked.

"Kisuke?" Sakura repeated in confusion. "I don't know anyone by that name." I looked down and sighed. "Ah... Actually, I think I've might've heard it somewhere..."

"Eh?!" The ghost, Naruto, and I exclaimed. "Where?!"

"I think... When I went to visit someone in the hospital, the patient in the very back room..." Sakura told us, holding up a finger. Naruto, the ghost, and I gasped.

We didn't let her say anymore. We ran, full speed, to the Hidden Leaf Hospital. Well, I just followed Naruto there... Since I didn't know where it was located.

When we got there we just ran in, ignoring the looks we got from the people there, and headed straight for the back room. And... To my surprise... The room door said... Maboroshi Kisuke. I gasped in surprise while Naruto just busted in the room.

The light was off, but we didn't need it on to see... A bony man lying in the hospital bed. He was attached to the I.V... Blood being sent to him. This is bad... And scary...

Naruto gulped before we walked in the room... The ghost, no, spirit floating behind us...

"What the..." The spirit's voice was low. "It's me..!"

"No wonder you can't rest in peace..." Naruto started.

"It's because he's not even dead." I finished.

"What the hell happened to me?" The spirit looked confused, mad, and surprised at the same time...

We all stared at the body, waiting for something to happen, but nothing did. After a while, we left the room, walking downstairs to the front desk.

"Excuse me..." I started, putting my hands on desk as I talked to the lady. I thought it would be a bad idea for Naruto to talk to her... So I stepped up. I just really wanted to get this over with... I don't like things like this... "Do you have the address for a certain patient?"

"Oh, yes." The lady took out a folder. "Who is it?" I'm surprised she didn't ask why. Hm...

"Maboroshi Kisuke." I answered. I noticed how she looked at Naruto from the corner of her eye, but I just ignored it. I didn't want to be kicked out of here... And I didn't sense Kakashi-sensei anywhere near here.

She looked through her folder, reading names. "Ah, found it." She took out a piece of paper, writing it down for me. She then handed it to me. "Have a nice day."

"Thank you so much." I smiled, before running over to Naruto and the ghost (He looked really sad). "I got the address! Let's go check it out."

The man just stared at me sadly, before finally speaking. "Okay..."

We found the... Place. It was like a ranch... With some stone scattered around in various places. Wait, let me clarify. It was like a ranch **field. **Nothing else... Just a field.

While the spirit looked around, Naruto and I decided to ask what happened. We found a random person standing by, so we decided to ask him.

"Excuse me..." I wouldn't let Naruto speak. I just don't feel like cursing out the villagers. "What happened to the house that was right here?"

The man gave Naruto the same look the lady gave, before answering. "The house here? It burnt down quite a while ago..."

My heart just broke. "...What..?"

"The house that was here burnt down in a fire. And the lady that lived here with her husband died in the fire."

My heart was thrown out of my chest and stomped on. Now I'm really sad...

I turned around and saw the spirit looking around the field. He might as well be a ghost... I'd probably rather die than... Well...

"Your house burnt down in a fire quite a while ago..." I told the spirit when I walked over to him. He gasped. "And... And..." I can't say it...

"I'm sorry to say this..." No, don't say it for me, Naruto... "But your wife died in the fire."

The ghost/spirit/man couldn't take anymore. He just fell on the fell on the ground, groaning. It sounds like he's hurting!

"Mister!" Naruto yelled in surprise.

"Ghost, are you alright?!" I asked, running up to him. Naruto did the same.

It looked like he was trying to get off the ground, but it wouldn't work! He was hyperventilating! "I remember now!" You do?! "That guy... He..." He groaned in pain. "He sealed me away!"

"That guy?" Naruto asked.

The ghost closed his eyes. "Under ANBU's orders, I was investigating the infiltration of spies in Konoha." He looked up at me. "Some of them were investigating you... I don't know if they still are." Great... Now ANBU are stalking me... "One man _I _came to inspect was Sabiru. Sabiru was an exceptional shinobi in the Tactical Division for Village Defense, and it was thought that he would lead Konoha to it's future. I couldn't accuse him without solid evidence. So I continued my investigation without a word to anyone. And then..."

They fought, since Sabiru really was a spy, and Sabiru burned down his house and then sealed Kisuke in the tag.

"Sabiru intends to put his security network into place in Konoha. Then he'll have control of the village's defense system." That's awful! Where is he! I'll kill him! Well... I'll tell Kakashi-sensei, or the Hokage. "He must be stopped, no matter what."

"But how?!" Naruto asked.

**~Line Skip~**

No... It can't be...

"What the hell happened here?!" Naruto demanded.

"The life support system stopped suddenly."

"I'm not getting a heart rate."

"It's no use..."

"No way..." Naruto shook his head. "Mister, you can't die, ya know!"

"Kisuke!" I screamed, getting on my knees, a single tear going down my face.

**~Line Skip~**

Naruto and I sat under a tree, crying. It just wasn't fair... Wasn't fair...

"Don't cry, Naruto, Jalen." We looked up to see Kisuke... The ghost form of him...

We stood up, wiping the tears away. "Mister..."

"Someone turned the life support off and killed me." Kisuke had a grim look on his face.

"What?" Naruto and I asked.

"The culprit is someone who thought I was a threat."

"You mean Sabiru?!" Naruto and I exclaimed, glaring. Okay... We need to stop that...

**~Line Skip~**

Naruto and I found out what the meeting The Hokage was attending was about. It was to vote on if they would use Sabiru's plan! Naruto and I ran in the building (Kisuke told us where the meetings are usually held), and there was another door to go through. I sensed Kakashi-sensei's Chakra in there... Perfect!

"Transformation Technique." Naruto transformed into Kisuke, rushing through the door. I just peeked in the door, seeing what would happen. And there was another door. They _better_ have enough rooms.

Kakashi-sensei and two ANBU were guarding that door, but Naruto ran right past them, busting through the other door. Kakashi-sensei and the two ANBU followed, holding a kunai and swords to his neck respectively.

"I oppose!" Naruto didn't care that he could be killed with one hand movement. He was just trying to save everyone.

I ran up to that door and peeked in. There were plenty of people sitting down, which included The Hokage, Inoichi, a man with the same hairstyle as Shikamaru... Probably his dad, and two random elders. On the other side of the table were random men in black and red suites. At the end of the table was an old lady with a fan in her hand.

"Please wait on your decision!" Naruto pleaded.

"Who are you?" The lady at the end of the table asked.

"Kisuke?" A man with blue hair asked. He was standing in front of everyone... I guess that's... Sabiru..! He _looks _evil... I just want to kill him!

"What do you mean, 'you oppose'?" One man asked. He means Sabiru is an evil bastard!

"I am Kisuke and I'm with ANBU." Naruto told them. The ANBU and Kakashi-sensei got back from him... Wow... "I was on a secret mission to investigate a spy who had infiltrated our village."

"And what does that have to do with today's resolution?" The Third Hokage asked.

"A whole lot, ya know!" Naruto stomped... Very childishly.

"Naruto, don't get too excited or they'll see right through your transformation technique." Kisuke reminded.

"What I meant was, it has much to do with it." Naruto grunted. "Because the one under investigation just happens to be Sabiru!" Naruto glared at Sabiru, while Sabiru gave him a look.

"What?!"

"Impossible!"

"Please wait!" Sabiru demanded. "Well, then, Kisuke! Where is the proof?"

"You sealed away my soul!" Naruto yelled. "This very body is proof!"

"That's... _If _you're the real Kisuke." Sabiru smirked. I glared... He didn't even deny it! "I received a report that Kisuke died a while ago." I really want to just bust in and start yelling! Like, really! "Verify this!"

"Yes sir." One of the ANBU nodded, using the Body Flicker Technique. I _really _need to learn that!

Kisuke sucked his teeth. "Is this it?" You have to do _something, _Naruto!

"Dammit!" Naruto exclaimed, going in his shirt and taking out a smoke ball. He threw it on the ground, smoke going everywhere, then ran, grabbing me as he did so. Damn... This sucks!

"What?" Kakashi-sensei exclaimed.

"This Kisuke is an imposter!" Sabiru exclaimed. "Arrest him!"

He let go of me, and we ran together, trying to get out of there. I sensed Kakashi-sensei and the ANBU following us

We ran in the forest, turning wildly to make them lose our trail. Kakashi-sensei caught up to us, though. The ANBU stopped chasing us and headed back to the meeting place.

We decided to stop running and turned around.

"Jalen? What are you doing?" Kakashi-sensei asked.

"Kakashi-sensei! Please, just listen. It's not enough time to explain!" I exclaimed. Naruto undid the transformation technique, turning back into himself.

So Naruto and I explained to him everything. Starting from when I woke up to now... Now that I think about it... My day was horrible... Just utterly draining.

So... I convinced Kakashi-sensei to transform into Kisuke to see for himself. Naruto hid somewhere while I stood by Kakashi-sensei... Let's see how things turn out...

Sabiru appeared in front of us, glaring.

"Just who are you?!" Sabiru demanded. He then looked at me. "And who are you, brat?!"

"It won't matter if you know me. You'll either be dead or in jail soon." I hissed.

"You're right... It won't matter if I know you two. Appearing before me like that... Are you two helping Kisuke?" He's turning insane... "It's a shame... But you both are going to have to die, kid or not."

"So you did kill him and his wife, after all." Naruto came from behind a tree.

"Who are you, brat?" Sabiru asked.

"Isn't that right?!" Naruto glared.

"And what if I did?" Sabiru smirked, making Naruto and I glare harder.

"I won't let you get away with this!" Naruto growled.

"Seems you were right about everything, Naruto, Jalen." Kakashi-sensei did a hand seal. "Release!" He undid the transformation, turning back into himself.

"Kakashi?!"

"These guys happen to be two of my lovely subordinates. You're going to tell us everything you planned to do after taking control of Konoha's Defense System." Kakashi said. Sabiru tensed, sending Chakra to his feet. Kakashi did the same. "Give up, Sabiru!"

"Wait, Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto exclaimed, Kisuke appearing beside him. "Mister, take your own revenge, ya know!" They both did a hand seal. "Transformation Technique!" Kisuke got into Naruto, then transformed into himself. "Sabiru, prepare yourself!" He did another hand seal. "Multi Shadow Replication Technique!" A bunch of Kisuke appeared around him.

"Get 'em, Kisuke!" I exclaimed.

"Sabiru! Eat this!" Kisuke exclaimed, jumping at Sabiru.

"AAAAAHHHHHH!" Sabiru screamed, being pummeled by Kisuke.

I suddenly felt someone's Chakra... In that tree beside us... Is it an ANBU? It feels bad, though...

Sabiru fell on the ground after being practically mauled, but stood back up, trying to fight back.

"Kakashi-sensei..." I pulled on his arm and pointed to the person in the tree. "...There's some-" I couldn't finish. A senbon was thrown straight at me... Straight for my neck. I couldn't dodge, and I couldn't block. I... Was done for...

But, Kakashi-sensei blocked the attack for me. He didn't have time to take out a kunai and block, so he just stood in front of me, taking the senbon to the chest.

"Gah!" Kakashi-sensei groaned.

"Kakashi-sensei?!" I exclaimed. The person in the tree was gone... And I couldn't pin point their Chakra anymore...

"Kakashi-sensei?! Sabiru?" Naruto exclaimed, back to his regular self. I looked over at Sabiru, who was on the ground. There was a senbon in his neck... He was dead...

Kakashi-sensei took the senbon out of his chest and ran up to the tree, looking up.

"He's gone..." I told him, scared for my life now. What _was _that? I'm pretty nervous now... Cause that could have killed me...

"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto called out to him. Kakashi-sensei looked down at Sabiru, thinking.

**~Line Skip~**

"Thank you, Naruto... Jalen..." We were back at Kisuke's used-to-be home. You could call it a field, now. "The village has been saved because of you two."

"It wasn't us!" Naruto refused, shaking his head. "It was because you possessed me, ya know!"

"No such thing!" Kisuke smiled.

"Well, if Naruto and I didn't pull that tag, none of this wouldn't have happened." I mused. "You can really thank Naruto, since I was telling him not to pull it off." And that really scares me. Because just me being here... If Naruto would have listened to me at all... The whole village would have been in danger!

"But, mister..." Naruto looked down. "Now, you're a real ghost..."

"It's okay." Kisuke reassured. "I'll find my wife in the afterlife and live happily ever after."

This is just so sad... It's making we want to cry...

"Naruto, Jalen, I've a small favor to ask of you..."

"What is it, ya know?" Naruto asked.

"If you two ever think of me, could you put some tulips on our graves?" Kisuke asked. "My wife used to love them."

"Sure thing, although Jalen just might cry his heart out." Naruto smirked.

I fumed. "H-hey! I won't cry! That much..." I looked down, turning red in embarrassment. "This _is _sad... Ya know..."

Kisuke laughed. "Well, it's time to say goodbye, Naruto, Jalen." He started to glow brighter. "Live life to the fullest for us as well!" He got brighter and... Disappeared...

"Mister!" I could see tears in Naruto's eyes... Be strong, Naruto! Be strong, ya know..!

"Ghost-san! Spirit-kun!" I... Can't cry..! "Kisuke!"

"...Yeah! We will live life for you! We promise, old man Kisuke!" Naruto started waving, while I waved too, holding in my tears. "Goodbye!"

I'll never forget you... Moboroshi Kisuke...

_**Another tear jerker... But I didn't cry this time. I'll never forget Kisuke... Ever. His story is just so sad... But I won't cry! I won't! **_

_**I... Won't... **_

_**June 4th! My birthday! Should I do a birthday special? I think I should... **_

_**I won't be uploading this on my birthday... No internet.**_


	16. Chapter 16

**Naruto: The New Story **

Chapter 16: The **Worst **Three-legged Race...

"According to our intel, the thieves who took the golden statue are either traveling by land along this forest path or sailing by boat and will land here." Kakashi-sensei explained, showing us the map he had and pointing to various places. "We're going to split into two teams and lie and wait for them." This mission already seems fun. To keep you guys up on what's happening...

We have to confront these thieves who took a statue from the Daimyo's sister. Kakashi-sensei was just now telling us the possible places they could go.

"To keep the teams balanced, strength wise, I guess I should go alone and you four will go together." Kakashi-sensei explained.

"What do you mean by that?" Naruto asked, tilting his head. "Are you saying Jalen needs all the help he can get?"

"...Are you insulting me?" I asked. "And that question really made no sense at all, _ya know. _He said he will go to one place alone while us four will go to another place. It was illogical to ask what he meant, and it was also illogical to say I'll need all the help." I looked away, puffing up my cheek. "...I know I'm stronger than Sakura..."

"Are _you _insulting _me?_" Sakura asked, glaring at me. "It doesn't matter if you're stronger than me or not, since everyone knows Sasuke is the strongest!"

"Hmph. _I'm_ the strongest, ya know!" Naruto glared at me. "_I _at least know _I'm_ stronger than _you_, Jalen."

I glared back. "And everyone else in the village is stronger than _you_, so what?" I scoffed, turning away. "You're really annoying me today, _ya know._"

Naruto and I just glared at each other while Sakura scoffed. "How childish can you two be?" Her voice lowered. "Sasuke hasn't said a word, so why do you two continue to piss me off?"

"He's pissing me off!" Naruto yelled, pointing at me.

"All of you people piss me off once in a while! But you, Naruto..." I narrowed my eyes. "Are the most frustrating."

Naruto grinded his teeth right before he jumped up, about to jump on me. Before he could, however, Kakashi-sensei tapped the ground with his staff, sending electricity to the ground and shocking Naruto, Sakura, and I.

"Gaaaahhh!" We all screamed, being roasted. This hurts, a lot!

"You three really need to work on teamwork." Kakashi-sensei scolded, stopping the electric attack. "Therefore, since there are five of us, I'll add Sasuke to my team."

"Hn." Sasuke nodded.

For those who haven't noticed yet... Naruto and I are kind of mad at each other. This morning, Naruto pushed me off the bed in his sleep... And I hit my head on the hard part of the bed, making it bleed. Then, after apologizing (That apology was _not_ sincere at all!), we decided to eat breakfast... And there was only one ramen cup left. So, I thought I should have it since he made me hit my head (I could have gotten into a coma!), but he was like, "I bought it, so I should have it, ya know!" So we started fighting for it. We fought and fought, but then I got super mad and threw the ramen outside (I know, that was dumb). We fought some more, and now here we are... Pissed at each other.

"Now, pay attention." Kakashi-sensei looked back down at the map, pointing to it. "Sasuke and I will watch the pier. You three will keep an eye on this path in the forest." He looked up. "If the thieves appear, notify me immediately. Don't take them lightly. Our mission is to retrieve the golden statue. We must proceed with utmost caution." This seems seriously serious. "If the thieves appear on my side, I'll signal you with this." He held up the pole that electrocuted us earlier. "When this lightning barrel is tossed into the air, it will release a thunderbolt. Once you verify it, rush straight to that location. I'm sure Jalen can sense far enough to bring you two to our location anyway."

"Hmph." I smirked, while Naruto just grinded his teeth at me.

"Now, remember. You must not act alone." Kakashi-sensei reminded.

**~Line Skip~**

Naruto, Sakura, and I were hiding in the trees, waiting for any sign of thieves. I'm pretty sure they're bandits, so if they do come on the road we're hiding on, it should be easy. Wait... I sense a group of people... Coming closer...

Now they're on the road we're hiding on, and as Kakashi-sensei said, they were the bandits. They're were about... 6 or 7 of them, and they had a horse with them, carrying all of their stuff.

And... They had quite a bit of Chakra. Not more than us, but they shouldn't be able to do techniques. One guy in the middle had a bunch of Chakra though... And it didn't sit right with me. It was evil Chakra, and most of it lied in his left arm. That was strange...

Suddenly, the horse slipped (Silly horse), about to fall down the cliff. Why would they keep a horse walking by a cliff? It's like letting a baby walk on the side of the sidewalk with cars speeding by.

Anyway, the horse was falling, and the weak man beside it couldn't hold it up. The man with the most Chakra (The one with it being mostly in his left arm) held out his left hand, Chakra squirting from his wrist (Spiderman!). The Chakra was like... Goo... Or something, and it wrapped around the horses neck, pulling it up.

"Hey, you!" The man with the evil Chakra yelled. "Idiot! Careful with the treasure!" He was yelling at the man that was too weak to hold up the horse... These guys seem to be a mess. The only one I need to watch out for is the man with the evil Chakra. He seems to be the leader.

"I'm sorry, Boss Jako!" The man apologized. I sweatdropped. I knew it...

"Shape up!"

"Yes, sir!"

So... The horse must be carrying the treasure in that gray box on it's back. Hm... While I go for the treasure, Naruto could take care of these thieves while Sakura summons Kakashi-sensei...

I stood up slightly, ready to jump down there and grab the box... But, Naruto did the same. I looked over at him while he looked at me, and we just glared at each other. Don't tell me he's thinking of grabbing the box as well, cause an idiot knows that wouldn't be the right thing to do! Just stay there, you retard!

I jumped from the tree, and he did too. Damn! Well, I'll just grab the box before him and take all the glory... Heh, that's what he'll get for calling me the weakest link!

The thieves gasped as Naruto and I landed on the horse, both of us grabbing the box.

"What the..!" Jako exclaimed, having to pull the Chakra harder to avoid it falling off the cliff. Wait, if it falls off, we fall off... And if we fall off...

Jako must have read my thoughts, because he let go of the Chakra, sending the horse (I'll name it... Ginger!), Naruto (I'll name it... Stupid!), and I rolling down the cliff to our demise...

At least it was a slanted cliff, or we would have died!

"Gaaah!" Naruto and I screamed, still holding the box in our hands while we rolled down the cliff. Ginger wasn't rolling anymore, so it was just Naruto and I screaming with the box in our hands.

"Damn! The treasure!" Jako yelled as he watched us roll down. He was soon chasing after us. "Let go of the treasure!"

"Yeah, Naruto! Let go and take him out!" I yelled.

"No way, ya know!" Naruto refused. "You do it!"

"That wouldn't make any sense!" I yelled back. I'm getting dizzy...

"Take this!" Jako exclaimed, pointing his hand at us, shooting the Chakra at us. Twice.

The first one missed (Booyah!) but the second one didn't, hitting my hand.

"Aaaahhhhh!" Naruto and I screamed, losing grip of the box.

The box got out of our hands and rolled down the hill faster, it eventually broke and revealed... A golden statue!

"We gotta get it!" I exclaimed, somehow getting up and jumping for the statue. I grabbed it with my left hand (My right hand felt heavy... Probably cause that Chakra hit it) and grinned, happy that it was now safe.

I wasn't.

"AAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!" Naruto and I screamed as we fell down a **real **cliff. Not that hill we were just rolling on, but a cliff. There was water down there, so we won't die by impact... But I hope I don't drown...

**~Line Skip~**

Naruto and I lied on the ground, side by side, panting. We somehow swam to the shore, so we were soaking wet. I had the statue in my left hand... But my right hand still felt weird. Probably just a side affect from that nasty Chakra touching me... It should go away soon...

"I can't believe they stole something so stupid, ya know..." Naruto commented as I held the statue up.

"They were probably going to just sell it..." I told him. "Anyway, did Sakura summon Kakashi-sensei?"

"Huh?"

"Did Sakura make the thunderbolt go off... To summon Kakashi-sensei?" I asked again.

"No." Naruto turned his head to look at me.

"That's... Bad. What if they spotted her?" I asked, turning to face him.

Naruto gasped. "Sakura's been captured?!" He stood up, about to run off, when something happened...

"Huh?" That's strange... It's like when Naruto stood up, he pulled my arm along with him... I noticed Naruto looking down at his hand (In horror?), so I looked down at my hand.

...

Our... Hands... Were joined together... By... Chakra. The same Chakra that Jako squirted at us... Was sticking our hands together...

...

"**WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?!**" Naruto and I shouted, glaring at each other.

We tried to pull away from each other, but it wouldn't work. The Chakra stayed... Like a sticky super glue...

"W-what's going on?" Naruto asked, still glaring at me.

"What does it look like? We're stuck together." I glared back. Is he just going to be mad all day because of ramen? I'm the only one who should be mad! My head was bleeding!

We stared at each other, before turning around, getting ready to pull away. "Ready... Go!" We began to pull away with all our might, using every bit of our strength. "AAAAHHH!" The Chakra wouldn't let go. Instead, it pulled us back together, making us hit our backs together. That. Was. Painful.

We didn't give up. There was a boulder by us, so ran towards it. "Yaaaaaaa!" We punched the boulder (With the hands that were stuck together) with all our might. The boulder cracked, but the Chakra didn't. It then sent pain waves throughout our bodies, making us fall on the ground in pain.

After that pain spasm was over, Naruto and I stood up, still glaring at each other (Although, weakened by the pain).

"I have an idea, ya know." Naruto grumbled, pulling me along with him as he ran towards the waterfall. "Jump." And I did as he said, us two jumping up the waterfall. We landed on top, then looked down. There was a spike sticking out from the waterfall... Wait! Is he thinking..? "We jump. Let the Chakra hit that spike." Just so you know, the spike isn't pointing up at us. So it won't stab our hands. "While the Chakra is already being pulled off by how hard we fall, we swim away from each other. That should easily disconnect our hands, ya know!"

"...It wouldn't hurt to try." I agreed. Naruto nodded, still pretty mad, and I nodded back, equally mad, if not madder.

We jumped. It's a pretty long jump... And I'm kind of scared... But I need to suck it up and disconnect these hands. If this doesn't work, however, we're screwed.

We kept falling, until the spike neared, and we each got on opposite sides of the spike, letting it hit our Chakra bound hands as we fell in the water.

That hurt.

It hurt, because it literally pulled my arm like crazy! I hope a bone isn't broken!

And... I wanted to scream that it hurt, but we were underwater. That didn't stop me, however, so I screamed. And a bunch of water got in my mouth. I tried to swim in the opposite direction from Naruto... But with my arm aching, water in my mouth, and just not having the energy to swim... I just thrashed around in the water. I glanced at Naruto, and he was doing the same; just thrashing.

I guess the Chakra couldn't be pulled anymore, because it pulled back, sending Naruto and myself flying back up.

Well... That was surprising. And I showed that by gaping widely, Naruto doing the same. There was still water in my mouth, my arm still hurt, and our hands are still connected... And... Why is Naruto and I getting closer toge-?

"Aaaaaaaaaahhhh-"

Bam! Naruto and I collided! When the Chakra shot us back up out of the water, the Chakra was still stretched pretty far... So it quickly pulled itself together, which quickly pulled Naruto and I at each other.

And to make matters worse, for the second time, our mouths collided. And there were plenty of things bad with this...

Since both our mouths were wide open, our teeth collided, which hurt! And since our mouths were wide open, water and spit washed through both our mouths, making us shiver in disgust. Our tongues also crashed together, Naruto's tongue lying on top of mine! And just being this close to each other, feeling each other breath, practically French kissing... Made us shiver in disgust again..

Our noses were touching, and my orange eyes were staring wide-eyed at his blue eyes. And, as you would have imagined, he tasted like ramen. He also smelled like ramen... But a nasty version of ramen...

And the whole kiss lasted for about 10 seconds, since we were too surprised to do anything, and we were up so high in the air. When we finally landed back in the water, we got away from each other (As far as we could have with this Chakra binding us together) and put our heads above the water, spitting and gagging.

"Damn it, Naruto! Is that really the best plan you could have thought of?!" I snapped. "Like, really! Words can't describe how mad I am right now!"

"Oh, and this is _my _fault?! If anything, it was you! All of this! It was you!" Naruto snapped as well.

We were out of the water now.

"How in the hell would it be my fault?! All I've done is go along with your silly plans, and every single one of them either hurt me and/or disgusted me!" I shouted. "It's always your fault! When you pushed me off the bed it was your fault! When you jumped for the treasure it was your fault! And now, Sakura could probably be dead now, and it would be your fault!"

He punched me. Naruto just couldn't stand me anymore, and he punched me. Straight in the nose.

I didn't react. I _couldn't _react. I just fell on the ground, pulling Naruto down with me, on top of me. I didn't care, though. I just widened my eyes as I felt blood run down out of my nose...

"...I'm sorry." Naruto mumbled, grabbing my collar and pulling me up so our faces were inches apart. "But... You might not care about Sakura, but I do! And I won't let her die! I'm going to save her! But, we have to work together to do that, and we can't work together if we hate each other!" Naruto shut his eyes. "So, I'm sorry! I'm sorry for pushing you off the bed! I'm sorry for fighting with you about the last cup of ramen! I'm sorry about insulting you! I'm sorry for charging at the treasure without hearing what you had to say! And I'm sorry for everything else I did!" He loosened his grip on my collar. "So... Would you please help me save Sakura, ya know?"

I didn't know what to do. After saying all that... He's making me feel like everything was my fault... Was everything my fault? I don't know anymore...

"...I'm sorry..." I apologized. "...For blaming everything on you... Some of those were my fault, too... And I guess I was overreacting about this morning..." I slightly chuckled as Naruto got off of me, pulling me up. "So... You're not mad anymore?"

Naruto grinned. "Of course not, ya know! Even if I was mad, we live together! I can't really stay mad at you."

I laughed. "Yeah... I'm not mad, either. We _are _brothers, after all."

We both laughed, before going silent again. Don't people hug at times like this? Well... I guess...

I hugged him, making him slightly gasp, but he soon hugged back. After we finished hugging, we turned red in embarrassment. This is... Awkward...

"...I gotta pee."

I looked at him incredulously, then nauseated, then blank. "...What..?"

"I said..." Naruto ran, pulling me along with him. "I gotta pee, ya know!"

"W-w-wait a second! Can't you wait until our hands are unconnected?!" I asked, but he just shook his head. "Why?!"

"I won't be able to perform my hardest if I'm holding in my pee." Naruto simply stated, unzipping his pants.

"N-n-no!" I screamed, grabbing Naruto's wrist, making sure he doesn't pull his pants down. I made sure not to trip and fall on him while his pants are unzipped, cause with our luck... "What if it sprays on me?! What if-"

"...Huh?"

We looked to the left, seeing a fat man peeing on a tree.

...Moment of silence...

Naruto zipped his pants up, and so did the man.

"Aaaahhhhh!" The man screamed, picking up a long chain from the ground. So... He's one of those thieves?

Naruto and I jumped back (Sloppily, because we weren't really in tune), and started to run away. The man started chasing us, swinging the chain around.

"Where's the treasure?!" I asked, ducking as the man swung the chain at our heads.

"I don't know, I don't know!" Naruto exclaimed, looking around as he ran.

"I remember..." I closed my eyes, which was really dangerous considering the situation I was in. "I dropped it when we noticed we were stuck together!"

"It should be back there, then!" Naruto yelled, pointing behind us. I sighed. So, to get the treasure we're going to have to fight that man? This is going to be hard...

"Let's go, then!" I exclaimed, Naruto and I turning around. "This man doesn't have the Chakra to use techniques, so he's not a Ninja! Which means we should be able to beat him, stuck together or not!"

"Multi Shadow Replication Technique!" Naruto exclaimed, doing a one-hand hand seal. Naruto... You aren't Haku...

The man still stopped, though, terrified of what might happen.

"...It's gonna be awkward to explain to him that you can't do it..." I sweatdropped. "If we don't make up a plan, we're going to lose. I can't punch so hard with my left hand, unless I use Chakra..." I kept on talking while Naruto kept trying to use the technique. "I can't throw kunai with my left hand... And it'll be hard to fight with my left hand."

"So you're practically useless." Naruto mumbled.

"...Pretty much. Anyway, you can't fight to your fullest potential lugging me around with you..." I sucked my teeth. "We're really at a disadvantage here..."

The man smirked, realizing Naruto wasn't going to use the technique, and ran at us again, swinging his chain around faster.

Naruto glared, taking a single step forward.

"Naruto, wait-"

"I'm going!" Naruto grabbed a kunai from his kunai pouch. "Can you please just go along with it? We need to save Sakura!"

"Ah!" I exclaimed as Naruto ran up to the man, pulling me along with him. I didn't even have enough time to take out a kunai (It would be useless, anyway... I can't do anything with my left hand ), so I just watched as the man swung the chains at Naruto.

Naruto didn't have time to react as the chain wrapped around his body, the end of it hitting him on . "Gah!"

"You bastard!" I yelled, kicking the man in the balls. I know, cheap move, but I don't care. He's attacking two kids.

"Augh!" The man stopped moving, clutched his crotch, then fell to the ground. "You... Brats..."

"Not unconscious? What should we do, Naruto?" I asked.

"Do whatever you want with him, I don't care." Naruto grinned. "I'm going to save Sakura!"

"Okay." I kicked the man in head... _Hard._ "Hm... Even with what he did, I don't want to hurt him. Well, not to the point of unconsciousness."

"Whatever. He's in pain right now... So it doesn't matter. We can save Sakura before he can get up, ya know." Naruto told me.

"Since he's here... And not unconscious... We can ask what they did to Sakura." I thought, bending down to speak with the man. "Hey, you. You know the pink haired girl that was with us? What did you guys do to her?" I took out a kunai, threateningly. "And don't lie to me... I can tell when you are, trust me."

"That girl... She's our hostage..." The man panted, in a lot of pain. "...After we get the treasure from you... We will kill you three."

"Where are they?!" Naruto demanded, bending down as well.

"Not far... They're very close by..."

"Oh, really?" I mused, doing a hand seal. I searched around for all the Chakra in the area, stopping as I found them. "...Let's go. I found them."

"...Oh, I just remembered... I gotta pee." Naruto deadpanned.

I was about to yell again, but...

"Is that contagious?" I asked, looking down. Naruto just stared at me, before ginning like an idiot.

**~Line Skip~**

"What? Suguro hasn't come back?" Jako asked the crew.

After peeing (I feel so... Embarrassed...), we went to rescue Sakura. We were now on top of a tree, looking down at them.

Sakura was on top of the horse, her hands tied behind her back. We need to save her! Now!

"I wonder if he-"

"If you're wondering if we took care of him, you're right." I glared down at them as they gasped at our appearance.

"Ya know!" Naruto added.

Sakura looked up weakly, grinding her teeth.

We hid our hands behind a branch sticking up-right, smugly grinning at them.

"Free at last!" Naruto exclaimed.

"Only a daimyo's sister could own a golden statue like this." I held up the statue, my grin widening as they gasped. "It managed to pull us apart."

Jako frowned... I guess he's displeased that his evil Chakra was "beaten". Naruto and I decided to lie to them, exchange the statue for Sakura, regroup with Sasuke and Kakashi-sensei, and then beat them down!

"We'll give you the statue... In exchange for our teammate." I proposed.

"And if you refuse..." Naruto made a tsking sound. "I'll pulverize every one of you, now that my hands are free, ya know."

Jako didn't seem to believe us, so we took a few steps up to prove it. Our hands weren't really free, but if we make them believe that...

"You don't think robbers can beat shinobi, do you?" I asked. "If you do, we can just fight now, rescue our teammate, and you still won't get the statue."

We took a few more steps... And my arm started to hurt from pulling it so much. I glanced over at Naruto, and he was gritting his teeth in pain, as well...

"How come you're gritting your teeth so hard?" Jako asked. "You two look like you're in _so_ much pain..." Damn... "If you two are free, come over here! Come on!"

We didn't move. We didn't know what to do. This was really our only plan... Damn! Damn! Damn!

"Their hands are still fused. There's nothing to fear. Get 'em!" Jako ordered.

"Okay!" The robbers around him nodded, _all_ of them taking out chains and running towards us.

"What's up with them and chains?" I hissed.

"We have to fight, I guess." Naruto smirked.

"Die!" A thief yelled, swinging around his chain. Before he could swing it at us, however, I swung Naruto around, making him kick the robber in the face. "Augh!" The robber screamed in pain, flying off the tree.

"You..!" Another robber yelled, swinging his chain at us. It hit my hand (Ow!), broke the tree behind us (Tree-chan!), and sent the statue flying out of my hand.

"Wha!" The robbers all turned around, running for the statue.

"Naruto!"

"Yeah!" Naruto and I pulled away from each other, then Naruto stopped pulling, letting me swing him around and throwing him towards the statue. I followed (Stuck together...), and we landed on a robber (Hard!). I wouldn't be surprised if he was dead...

We then jumped at the bandit behind us, but he saw it coming, swinging his chain at us. We blocked it with the Chakra, and Naruto stepped on his head... The robber pushed him off, but I ran up and kicked him in the balls...

"Gah?!" The robber fell on his knees, falling to the ground as he cried.

"Come on! The statue!" I reminded, Naruto and I then running for it. When he got to it, something unexpected happened...

"You two! Look out!" Sakura warned us. We turned to look at her, but that was a bad move, because that evil Chakra shot right at the statue. So that bastard wants to fight, now.

"The treasure is mine!" Jako exclaimed, shooting more Chakra at us. Everything it touched... Blew up... It was like a bazooka being shot at us... But probably more dangerous!

Naruto and I ran, narrowly avoiding the Chakra being shot.

Jako was now shooting it from both of his hands, but the one on his left hand was faster and stronger. Naruto and I couldn't stop moving, cause if we did, for even a second, we would have died!

...

This is so exhilarating! And scary...

"Naruto, throw this at him!" I ordered, passing him an explosive kunai. Naruto nodded, grabbing the kunai and throwing it a Jako.

Jako narrowly dodged the kunai, smirking, but screamed as it blew up right beside him. He fell on the ground, recuperating.

"Let's get 'em!" Naruto exclaimed, pulling me along as we ran for the injured man. But, when we got near him, he rolled back on his feet, slashing us with a sword... Made out of Chakra!

"Oh, shit!" I screamed, Jako slashing me on the arm. "Aaah!"

"Damn you!" Naruto growled, bringing Chakra to his feet and rushing at the man, head butting him. Naruto completely lashed out at him... Even with one arm he was still beating the crap out of him; kicking him in the stomach, punching him in the chest, and head butting him in the face!

"Grr..." Jako growled, jumping back, eying the statue on the ground.

"Oh, no you don't, ya know!" Naruto and I shouted. He swung me at the man, and I kicked him in the face, sending him flying back. Man... That must have been a hard kick!

"Grrrr..!" The man wasn't fazed. He just shot his Chakra at a tree, pulling him over there. "None of your attacks are working against me, you brats!"

"Come down here and fight us, then." I taunted. My arm hurt like hell... But I know what do to to beat this guy.

"GRRRRRAAAAAAHHHH!" He charged at us, running like crazy.

"Naruto, just trust me, okay?" I told him. He nodded, smirking. "Now, die!" As soon as the man got close enough, I swung Naruto at the him.

"Heh, again?" Jako smirked as he ducked, dodging the attack.

"Gotcha~!" I sang, sending as much Chakra to my feet as I could in that limited amount of time. "Jalen Style: Balls Kick Technique!"

"Wha?!" Naruto, Sakura, and Jako exclaimed.

I swung my feet up, kicking the man straight in the balls. And with that added Chakra... Well, let's just say... He cried.

"**WWWWWWWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH**" The man cried, falling on the ground as he held his (probably busted) balls. After a while, he soon fainted, having taken too much pain.

"We did it!" Naruto cheered, jumping up and down.

**~Line Skip~**

"Well... I guess it could be melted down and re-cast." Kakashi-sensei said as he studied the messed up statue. Of course it would get messed up! It fell on the ground like every minute! "Just maybe."

"Thank you so much, Naruto! Jalen!" Sakura hugged us.

"Well... You welcome, Sakura." Naruto smiled, sheepishly scratching the back of his head.

"Today was a hard day..." I sighed. "And Kakashi-sensei, _why_ can't you undo this Chakra binding our hands together?" I held it up to show him. "This is dumb."

"Their boss said it would crumble apart in two or three days." Sakura told us, smiling. I'm sure she's enjoying this... I'm sure they all are.

"As if!" Naruto and I exclaimed, trying to break it. Sakura started to laugh... That bitch.

"You two live together, so it's not that difficult." Sasuke smirked. How I _hate_ him...

"...Uh-oh..." Naruto stopped trying to break it, looking at me in horror. "I think I need to go..."

"Go? Go where?" I asked warily, afraid for the answer.

"To the restroom... And this time it's number two."

"LIKE HELL!" I shouted, punching him in the head. He laughed.

"Your punches don't hurt as much with your left hand, ya know."

I... I didn't know what else to do... It's obvious we're going to have to use the restroom... But...

I looked down, turning red. "...At least wait till we get home..."


	17. Chapter 17

**Naruto: The New Story**

Chapter 17: Birthday Special Part 1

_**So... I know some of you might have wanted to see what Jalen and Naruto did while they were stuck together... But I don't want to write that. So this happens three days after they got their hands separated. Enjoy! **_

"Hey, Naruto?" I called out to him. He was lying on his back - on the floor - reading a book. "What are you doing?"

"Reading, ya know..." Naruto answered, not even looking away from the book. He flipped a page.

"...Am I in a genjutsu?" I mused, lying on the bed. "Gah..! I'm so bored! So bored!"

"Uh-huh..." Naruto didn't even acknowledge me. He just flipped another page, completely engrossed in that book. "Uh-huh..."

"I didn't say anything that time." I narrowed my eyes, sitting up. "What are you reading?"

"Uh-huh..."

"Naruto!" I exclaimed, jumping on him.

"Whaaa!" Naruto dropped the book. "No! I lost my page!" He tried to push me off of him, but I wouldn't budge. "Get off, ya know!"

"I'm bored!" I whined, now wrestling to pin Naruto down.

"Urg... Gotcha!"

I don't know what happened... But somehow Naruto had me pinned on the floor...

"This is still better than being bored." I deadpanned, looking up at him.

Naruto just took in the victory, probably cheering inside. "I won, as usual."

"I was going easy on you."

"Nuh-uh!"

"Uh-huh!"

"Nuh-uh!"

"Uh-huh!"

"Nuh-huh!"

"...Wait." I sighed, using Chakra to help as I pushed him off of me. "What are we arguing over?"

"...I don't know." Naruto, you idiot! "Hey, hey, how old are you, Jalen?" That's a random question...

"I'm twelve." I answered, sitting up, yawning. "My birthday is June 4..."

"June 4?!" Naruto jumped up, running towards the calendar. "That's tomorrow!" ...What? It _is_?!

"...Wow..." I muttered, sadly looking at the floor. My first birthday not in the real world... It's... Kind of sad...

"What's wrong?" Naruto asked, picking up his dropped book.

"Nothing..." I lied on the floor, closing my eyes. I'll just play around with my Chakra... It helps me manipulate it easier during battle. "...Nothing at all..."

**~Line Skip~**

Naruto was confused... And worried. He was confused about how Jalen acted when he realized it was his birthday tomorrow. He acted pretty sad... Shouldn't kids act happy when they realize their birthday is tomorrow? That's what Naruto thought.

But he thinks he knows why Jalen wasn't happy. Naruto was never really _happy_ during his birthday. The villagers hated him more on that day, because the Nine Tailed Fox attacked on that day. So their hate seemed to multiply during his birthday. And to add to that, he was always alone during his birthday. Iruka-sensei might visit for a little... But that wasn't enough to Naruto.

So Naruto thought Jalen must feel the same, right? He was always alone, too... And he didn't have a teacher to buy him ramen or even associate with him. His birthdays must have been just as lonely, if not lonelier, than Naruto's...

"I know what I have to do." Naruto mumbled, throwing his book aside and searching for his sandals. They really needed to clean up... It's almost as messy as it was when Jalen first came. Thinking of Jalen again... Why did Naruto even let him live with him? Naruto didn't know himself... But if he had to answer, he would say that... He was automatically attracted to Jalen. Not in _that_ way... In a way that... He can't really explain it. He just knew Jalen was a good person... It was very hard to explain for Naruto.

Naruto finally found his sandals, and he was running for the door the second they were on. "I'll be back! Don't follow me, ya know!"

"Wha-?!" Boom! The door was shut close, leaving Jalen alone in the house. "...What was that all about? Now I'm bored-er..." Is what Jalen said, but he was already thinking of things he could do alone. "...Who is that?" Jalen was confused to hear a voice in his head, but that's all it was, a voice. "...Huh?! Is someone narrating?!"

**~Line Skip~**

Naruto ran through the village, ignoring the looks of the random villagers he passed. He thought that if he bought Jalen a gift, and threw him a party, then... Well... He'd be happy? Naruto didn't really know, but it just seemed like the right thing to do. Especially after that last mission... When he practically forced Jalen to stand beside him while he pooped.

It wasn't his fault, though, since their hands were connected. But still, Jalen looked really pissed those days they spent stuck together. There were really awkward moments... And moments that Naruto would rather forget...

"So first, I'll invite Sakura, Sasuke, and Kakashi-sensei." Naruto thought out loud, running to Sakura's house. When he got there, he knocked on the door, literally jumping up and down like a little kid.

"Who is it?" Sakura asked from the inside of the house.

"Sakura!" Naruto practically cheered, like a little kid. Sakura sighed as she walked over to the door, slightly opening it to peek her head through. Naruto will _not_ make her go eat ramen with him... Not unless Sasuke was there.

"What do you want, Naruto?" Sakura mentally groaned. _Please don't ask me to go anywhere with you. Cause I'm going to say no._

"Da da da daa!" Naruto bowed. "You are invited to Jalen's birthday party! Tomorrow!"

Sakura was silent for a moment, before she smiled excitedly. "Jalen's birthday?! Really?! When is it?! Where is it?! What do I bring?!"

"I'll answer all of your questions, ya know!" Naruto was just as excited as Sakura, even though this was his plan... "Yes, it's Jalen's birthday. Really. It's tomorrow, June 4th. It will be at my house at... 4:00! And... Bring a present!"

"Okay! Okay!" Sakura was fully out the door now, clasping her hands with Naruto's. "We have to make this right for Jalen! Let's go invite everyone, and I'll come with you to get a present!"

Naruto's hopes suddenly rose. Maybe... "It's a date?!"

Sakura's whole body language changed. She glared at Naruto, then smacked him in the face. "No, you idiot!"

"Ow! No! I'm sorry, ya know!"

**~Line Skip~**

"What do you two want?" Sasuke asked, opening the door.

"Come to Ja-"

"I'm not interested in going to some type of get together, I have better things to do."

"But, Sasuke!" Sakura pouted. "It's Jalen's birthday tomorrow, so we want to throw him a party!"

"And what does this have to do with me?" Sasuke asked, narrowing his eyes. _Why should I go to some birthday party? My mom's birthday was two days ago... And Itachi's birthday will in six days..._

"We want you to go, Sasuke!" Sakura begged, but Sasuke just shook his head, about to close the door, but Naruto stopped him.

"You bastard..." Naruto was holding in his temper... But he had to let go now.

"What do you want, dobe?" Sasuke asked. He knew Naruto wouldn't do anything drastic. Naruto would just throw a tantrum and then be regular the next day. It was pretty annoying.

"Why won't you go to his birthday party?! He hasn't done **anything** wrong to you, so why are you being a bastard?!" Naruto yelled, grabbing Sasuke's collar.

"If I don't want to go, I don't have to go." Sasuke simply said. "Nothing you say will make me, so let go of me."

"What did he do to you?!" Naruto growled.

Sasuke thought for a moment. "Just being related to _you_ is enough to dislike a person."

Naruto almost swung at Sasuke. He almost punched him in the nose... But he stopped. He just let go of Sasuke and walked away.

"N-Naruto!" Sakura exclaimed. She looked back at Sasuke, but he already closed the door. "S-Sasuke..."

"Sakura!" Naruto shouted. Sakura turned around and gave Naruto a worried look. "Can you invite everyone else for me? I... Need to do something."

"Naruto..."

**~Line Skip~**

_**Naruto's P.O.V**_

I really hate that bastard. But, I'm sure Jalen wouldn't want him to come anyway... Would he? I can't ask him, or it would ruin everything... Damn it! This is just so frustrating, ya know!

Anyway, I need to find Jalen a present. But, it has to be the **best **present! If I let anyone do me up... I'd never forgive myself, ya know!

That's why I told Sakura to invite everyone else. I need to find a present, and still have time to clean up the house, and then... Whatever else comes to mind. I'm not very experienced at this...

I walked up to a random store, and looked at the sign. It said, "Ninja Shop." I walked in, but flinched at the glares people gave me. Why do they always have to look at me like that? All I did was walk in a store, ya know...

"What do you need?" Some lady asks me. I hate that look she's giving me, but I can't react... I just need to get Jalen a present and leave.

"I'm just getting someone a present..." I replied, looking around the store. Ah... Doesn't Jalen use explosive tags a lot? He puts them on his kunai a lot...

"Okay." The lady gave me a fake smile, before walking away. I knew she would look at me the whole time I'm here, though.

"Hm... First, I'll get him more kunai... Then shuriken... Explosive tags..." I frowned, realizing all of these are regular gifts for a Ninja. What can I get him that would really make him happy? What would a non-Ninja brother give his other non-Ninja brother? Is that right? I'm getting confused, ya know... "I don't know, ya know!"

I guess I'll just buy all of the regular gifts... And think of a perfect gift later...

I grabbed two pouches of kunai, two pouches of shuriken, and three pouches of explosive tags (He really likes using those...). I walked over to the cashier and placed the items on the table. From the prices... If I pay for all of this... That'll be all of my money. How am I going to get him another gift, now?

"Your paying for all of these?" The cashier scowled at me. I just looked down, grabbing my frog wallet and opening it. "This'll all be... $43.95."

I sighed, dumping all of my coins on the table. I know I have $45 in here, so at least I have enough. But, these prices are so unreasonable!

"...Oh, I'm sorry..." The lady smirked after counting the money. "...You don't have enough money..."

"What? Yes I do!" I exclaimed. "I know that's $45!"

"Oh, I didn't tell you?" She glared at me. "I doubled the price. It's now $87.90." What?!

"What?! That's not fair, ya know! You can't double the price!" I glared back at the stupid lady. Isn't that, like, against the rules?! She can't do that!

"It's my store. I can do whatever I want." No, you can't! You can't just do that to me! "Maybe next time you should tell your brother to watch his mouth around elders." What? Jalen? "I swear... Kids with no parents are so bad. Especially demons..."

"What did you say?!" I growled, ready to attack the lady. What is she even talking about?! And I hate when people call me a demon! I'm not a demon! I'm Uzumaki Naruto!

"Your stupid brother or whatever decided to tell me and my friend off after calling him a demon. Well, I called you both demons, but that doesn't matter. It's _true_." She sighed. "He's a weird kid. He called me... Moka. But, I guess all demons are weird."

"He's not a demon!" I shouted. "And I'm not a demon! The only demon here is you, ya know!" I can't believe... Jalen actually defended me... Why didn't he tell me? He actually stood up for me...

"Naruto?" I turned around to see Kakashi-sensei. "What's wrong?"

"You..!" The cashier glared at Kakashi-sensei, before fake smiling. "What do you need?"

"Kakashi-sensei..." I decided to ignore the cashier, thinking about Jalen's birthday party. "Did Sakura tell you about Jalen's party tomorrow?"

"Oh, in fact, she did. I was just about to look for him a present..." He gave the lady a blank look. "Until I saw what was happening here."

"Excuse me, it's either you buy something or leave."

"Kakashi-sensei! She was trying to make me pay double for my items!" I exclaimed, remembering what I was mad about.

"Oh, really?" He mused. "Do I need to tell The Hokage about this? Isn't this the second time you've started something?"

"I-I'm sorry." The lady bowed. "I meant no harm. You know what..." She smiled at me. "These items are free."

"Really?!" I grinned, grabbing my money off the table and my gift. "Thanks, lady!" She scowled at me, but that just made me grin more. "Thank you, Kakashi-sensei! I'm off!" I ran out the store, still slightly mad, but at least I got free Ninja tools! Now, I can get Jalen a super good gift.

**~Line Skip~**

_**Jalen's P.O.V**_

Ugh... I'm so bored! Where is Naruto at?! I'm practically dying on the floor right here! He told me not to follow him... But why?! Doesn't he understand there's nothing at all to do here alone?!

Wait... It _is_ boring here all alone... That's how Naruto feels all the time... It even _shows_ it in the episode how depressed he can get from being alone...

I... Just noticed this... But maybe I'm here for a reason..? Naruto Shippuden wasn't finished when I came to this world... And I only watched the show, not read the manga. So... What if after the war... Some of Naruto's closest friends die... And... And he... Commits suicide..?

"Hahaha..." I laughed nervously, sitting up from the bed. "What kind of sick joke is that? That would... Never happen! Hahahahaha..."

...Shit. Now I'm kind of nervous... But, Naruto would never commit suicide! I clearly remember Naruto saying in one episode that there's no such thing as a life being thrown away! So... So I'm just being dumb! I'm over thinking! Hahahahaha!

...Ehehe...

...It _is_ boring here, though...

**~Line Skip~**

"Excuse me?" Naruto called out to a girl. He didn't recognize her, but he thought he might as well ask her... He doesn't think she'd give him false information.

"Huh?" She turned around, giving the boy a skeptical look. She didn't see a forehead protector on him, but for some reason, she figured he was a Ninja. And she didn't want to see any Ninja on her break. This was probably the only break she would have... With her extreme Sensei...

"Do you know any good places that sell the best Ninja tools?" Naruto asked. Even though she didn't want to talk to him, her interest was now piqued. Ninja tools were her specialty, so she knew the best places that sold them.

"Of course!" At times like these, she was as fiery as her green wearing teammate. "Let's see... For the regular stuff, Ninja 101 has the best selection, and they're usually better in quality." She saw Naruto's interest suddenly drop, so she decided to tell him where her shop was. He must have just forgot to wear his forehead protector, because she was certain he was a Ninja. "But, my shop has the best Ninja tools imaginable. Not only does it have the regulars, but it also has some unique Ninja tools! You should go there if you're interested in that kind of stuff."

"Really?!" She saw his eyes light up like a little kid. Just like how her eyes lit up when Ninja tools were involved. "Can you show me where it's located, ya know?!"

"Of course! It _is_ my shop, after all." She replied, turning around so the boy could follow. "Anyway, what do you need these tools for?"

"It's for my brother." Naruto answered, grinning. He was so used to calling Jalen his brother, it just slipped off his tongue. "His birthday is tomorrow, so I wanted to give him the best present imaginable, ya know!"

"Heh, then you're going to the right place." She smiled, guiding him to her shop. It was also her house, but he didn't need to know that. "Does your brother use Ninja tools a lot?"

"A lot?" Naruto gave her a confused look. "In mostly all of his fights, yeah! He uses them a lot, ya know!"

Now the girl's interest was piqued. There wasn't a lot of boys that liked using Ninja tools. Maybe... "What does he look like? Does he look like you?"

Naruto was confused. Why did this girl want to know so much about Jalen anyway? "Uh... I guess. We do share a little resemblance, ya know." The girl sweatdropped. She was kind of tired of him saying, 'ya know'... "He has red hair... It's a little like mine, ya know. And... He has gold eyes..."

"Hmm..." The girl nodded. The boy sounded interesting. "Well, here it is." She pointed at her home... AKA her shop. "Let's go in." She walked in, holding the door for Naruto to walk in as well.

"Wow!" Naruto exclaimed, rushing inside as soon as he saw all the Ninja tools plastered around the store. "These are so cool! I'm positive Jalen would love these!"

Jalen? That's a weird name, is what the girl thought. "I hope so... But, didn't you say you wanted to give him the best gift?"

"Uh-huh!" Naruto nodded, awaiting for Ninja tools cooler than the ones he saw now. "I want the best thing you have, ya know!"

"Okay." She turned around, looking at her mom. "Mom, I'm going to sell this costumer a weapon, okay?"

"Ah, okay!" The lady nodded. "I'm glad to see you bringing home such a cute friend. What's his name?"

Naruto blushed at being called cute, but answered anyway. "Uzumaki Naruto..."

"Oh, that's a nice name." Her mom nodded. "Those marks on your face are just so cute~!"

"Mom!" The girl scolded, grabbing Naruto's wrist and bringing him to the back room. Naruto was _really_ confused now, considering no one... No one at **all **called the marks on his face cute. "Sorry about that. Anyway, would your brother prefer a throwable weapon or a hand-to-hand combat weapon?"

Naruto put that thought he hand in the back if his mind (He would ask Jalen about it later.) and excitedly answered, "Hand-to-hand combat!"

The girl giggled, opening a box. She took out a... Bo Staff! "I think your brother would love this. It's a Bo Staff, but it's a... Special one."

"How is it special, ya know?"

"Well..." She turned into teaching mode. She _loved_ when she could get in that mode. "The core of this staff is a lightweight wood that will allow you to throw your moves as fast as possible. This staff also has a grip that keeps the staff right where you want it during extreme fighting!"

"Wow..."

"This specific staff also let's you bring Chakra to it, allowing you to give a harder blow when fighting with it. It's our best tool." The girl grinned. "**It's $129.99.**"

Naruto almost had a heart attack, but managed to keep it under control. $129.99?! That's... That's outrageous!

"Don't give me that look." The girl smiled, handing it over to him. Naruto gasped, staring wide-eyed at the staff. "It's your brother's birthday tomorrow, right? Well, just give me all the money you have... And you can have it."

"Really?!" Naruto exclaimed, gripping the staff. The girl nodded, going in Naruto's pocket as she did so. She took out his wallet, pouring all the money in her hand. "Thank you so much!"

"Yeah, it's no problem." The girl looked away, blushing. "Ah, my name is Tenten... And you have to come here when you need Ninja tools! You and your brother, okay?"

Naruto nodded. "No problem! No problem, ya know!"

"And... I have another question..." Tenten looked down, blushing harder. "D-does your brother... Uh... Have those cute marks on his face like you?"

**~Line Skip~**

_**Jalen's P.O.V**_

"Ah! Naruto!" I jumped up, running towards him. He had plenty of bags in his hands. "Uh... What are those?"

"Nothing!" Naruto ran from me, putting the bags in the closet. "Jalen!" He then ran back to me, grabbing my hands and staring straight into my eyes. What the..? "Please! I'm begging you... Don't look at those bags, okay?! Please, ya know! Don't!"

"Ah... O-okay..." I nodded, kinda scared of what's in there. "But anyway, where have you been all day?! It's 9:00! I was getting worried about you!" Naruto then hugged me. Okay... Now I'm worried about his sanity...

"Thanks for sticking up for me..." Naruto didn't let go of me... "You told off those ladies who were calling me a demon... Thank you..."

W-what?! How did he figure out about that?! "Uh... Well, they were talking about me too, ya know..." Why is he being so... Emotional? "And... Uh..." I guess I can get him to tell me about the Nine Tails now. "Why were they calling you a demon? I know you do a lot of pranks and stuff, but..."

"I'll tell you tomorrow." Naruto let go of me, suddenly smiling. "Hey! Help me clean this place up! We need to get this house cleaned by tomorrow!" He suddenly started picking things up from the floor, cleaning the kitchen, everything!

"W-why?! What's going on?!" I asked. He's acting **very** weird!

"I'll tell ya tomorrow, ya know!" Naruto answered. "Can you clean the bathroom?!"

"Uh... Okay..."

"And Jalen!" Naruto ran up to me. "You can have the bed to yourself tonight!"

Eh?! Really?! What's going on?! I don't know how to react!

"And... Jalen..." Naruto gave me a serious look. "Do the marks on my cheeks make me look cute?"

...

Yep. I'm either going crazy... Or Naruto has lost it.

_**So... Did I make Tenten OOC? I don't think so... But... **_

_**Yeah... Tenten and Jalen..? Hm... How about Tenten and Naruto..? Even though he's probably the most oblivious person in the world... **_

_**So... Next chapter is the party! Hope you enjoy it, ya know!**_


	18. Chapter 18

**Naruto: The New Story **

Chapter 18: Birthday Special Part 2

June 4th... The big day. Well, to Naruto it was. It would be to Jalen as well, but he was in the dark about everything.

It was morning time in the Hidden Leaf Village, but many people were already up. Most were store owners and such, but a lot were just random people walking through the streets.

Jalen was sleeping, as usual, but Naruto wasn't. He was a man on a mission, so he made sure to wake up early.

"It's June 4th!" Naruto exclaimed - although he was sure not to wake Jalen - as he woke up. He sat up, and for a second he pondered why he was on the floor, but quickly remembered letting Jalen sleep in the bed by himself. Speaking of Jalen...

Jalen was sprawled across the bed, his feet where his head should be laying. Jalen was holding the pillow like a little kid would hold a toy bear, and Naruto could clearly hear Jalen mumbling something in his sleep. Naruto grinned at Jalen's position in the bed, _How do you move around that much in a bed, _and was about to wake him up but stopped himself.

"I forgot... I need to get one more thing..." Naruto remembered, walking to the closet and opening it. He found his usual clothes and decided against taking a shower. "Jalen wouldn't know." He did however, walk in the bathroom and brush his teeth. Jalen _would_ know if he didn't.

After Naruto brushed his teeth, stripped, put his clothes on, and put on his forehead protector... He slipped on his sandals and ran out the door, making sure to lock it behind him.

"I'm gonna get Jalen the best present ever!" Naruto shouted, running towards the Hokage Estate.

Jalen woke up a few minutes later, blinking as he sat up. "...Where's Naruto?"

**~Line Skip~**

Naruto ran towards the Hokage Estate. He was going to get the Scroll of Seals and teach Jalen the Multi Shadow Replication Technique. That's a good present, right? Naruto sure thought so, which is why he wouldn't take "no" for an answer.

...

"No." The Hokage shook his head. "You cannot borrow the Scroll of Seals. You're lucky you were able to steal it last time."

"But why, ya know?!" Naruto asked, sitting on the ground as get pouted. "I even asked you this time!"

"Because if I let you borrow it, then other people will want to borrow it. Besides..." The Hokage sighed. "There are forbidden techniques in the-"

"I know that!" Naruto interrupted. "There are forbidden techniques in there, I know!"

"So why do you want to borrow it?" The Hokage asked, narrowing his eyes. He fears that Naruto is being tricked into taking it again... And the only one that comes to his mind that would make him do it is Jalen...

The Hokage still doesn't trust Jalen that much, even though Kakashi says everything is fine. He's still an unknown boy living with the Nine Tails jinchuriki. That's very strange... Which is why he has ANBU investigating the boy. They follow his every move... And if they find one thing suspicious about him, they kill him.

"Because Jalen's birthday is today, and I want to teach him the Multi Shadow Replication Technique, ya know!"

The Hokage sighed, worried that this whole thing was because of Jalen. He might as well check Naruto for any signs of being under a genjutsu.

"Naruto... Come here..." The Hokage ordered, getting out of his seat. Naruto gave a confused look, before standing up and walking over to the Hokage. The Hokage made a tiger seal with one hand and placed his other hand over Naruto's head. "...Release!" After a few seconds, Naruto tilted his head, now giving an annoyed look.

"What are you doing, old man?" Naruto asked.

"...Hm..." The Hokage slowly walked over to his desk, sitting down. _So Naruto really isn't under a genjutsu... Then... Is what he's saying true? Is Jalen really a regular person who shows no threat to the village? _"Listen... Naruto."

"Huh?"

"Since it's Jalen's birthday... I suppose you can borrow the Scroll of Sealings."

"Really?!"

"Calm down. And really." The Hokage smiled. It wasn't a happy smile... More like a threatening smile. This made Naruto take a tiny step back, afraid of what the Hokage was about to do. "But, you must steal the scroll. No one, and I repeat, no one must be able to know you have it. If someone catches you with it, you will be penalized for stealing it."

"...Right..."

"...Well, go on. This conversation never happened."

"Right!" Naruto explained, before dispelling in a puff of smoke. The Hokage raised a brow in alarm. That was a Shadow Replication? So... Even if The Hokage said no... Naruto would have been one step ahead. Interesting...

_**~NOTE! NOTE!~**_

_**Yeah... I hate writing in third person... It's hard for me. So, starting now... Everything's back in Jalen's P.O.V... Yeah...**_

_**~NOTE OVER!~**_

Even though I'm awake, I'm not getting out of the bed... I just don't feel like it... I'd rather stay in the bed all day. I can probably do that too, since Naruto is who knows where.

"Gah! Tired and bored! Tired and bored!" I whined, rolling around on the bed.

Oh yeah... Naruto let me sleep in the bed by myself yesterday... I wonder why. Probably because... Oh yeah... It's my birthday today...

I stared at the ceiling sadly as I remembered the times when my mom would wake me up on my birthday. I would have a party with all of my friends there... I would be so happy...

"But, I'm just going to stay in this house all day today..." I mumbled, closing my eyes.

I need to recollect my emotions before Naruto comes back... Cause this would be hard to explain. I can see him now... Running in here and seeing tears in my eyes. He would ask what was wrong, and I would either lie to him or not answer. And if I don't answer, he'll just keep asking me.

"Although... This place does look really cool." I opened my eyes, looking all across the room. What you see in the Anime and what you see in real life are two completely different things. It just looks... Amazing in the real world. Maybe a little weird, but amazing nonetheless.

Such as... Naruto. In the Anime... He looks like he stands out a lot. But, in real life he actually doesn't. Well, you'd know him if you saw him... With the blonde hair, blue eyes, and orange jumpsuite. His hair isn't nearly as spiky as it is in the Anime, though. And you have to really study him to see the marks on his face...

And... Sakura. You would know her if you saw her because of her pink hair, pink skirt, and her green eyes. I haven't seen anyone in the whole village have pink hair except her... So...

And Sasuke. His hair is weird... Too complex to explain. It's not as spiky as it is in the Anime, so... To be honest, the only thing that would make me know it's him is the Uchiha symbol on his back. And his Chakra.

So, it really looks like they're cosplaying. Just, a really real version of it. And don't get me started on the techniques. It still kind of amazes me when Naruto uses the Shadow Replication Technique... Or when I use the Body Replacement Technique. It's like... One second you're... Let's say, by the TV. As soon as you want to, the next second, you're by the door. It's amazing and freaky...

And it feels weird when that bit of Chakra leaves you. After an hour or so, you feel refreshed... But, before that you have to fight with the Chakra you have left. If you keep on using Chakra, you'll end up in your reserves soon... And that's what's keeping you alive. Use all of that, and you're dead. Simple as that.

...I'm still surprised I can sense Chakra. I can't really _see_ it, but I sense it. If I stare at a person long enough, though, and really try... I _can_ see it a little. I also have a feeling from a person when I sense their Chakra. If I _know_ the person, and I've been with them for a while... I can sense them without even trying. Like a 6th sense, or something.

And hand seals are very easy to remember! It's probably because I know if I mess up once, it could mean life or death for me. Like, I know from the top of my head that the seals for the Body Replacement Technique are Ram to Boar to Ox to Dog to Snake. It just comes naturally after I think about it... Maybe it's because I'm merging with this world... I'm **adapting**.

I also know the seals for the Clone Technique are Ram to Snake to Tiger. It's... Simple. Like how you know your name, or how you know your birthday. And the seals for the Transformation Technique are Dog to Boar to Ram. Simple~.

Sadly, these are the only techniques I know... I _really_ need to learn more for the Chuunin Exams! Oh yeah... Wasn't Naruto supposed to teach me the Shadow Replication Technique? Would that help me in the Chuunin Exams? I wonder...

Ugh... I'm bored of just lying in bed. I'm going to take a shower and such... All the usual things I do...

I got up, searched in the closet for my clothes (Ignoring the bags Naruto brought back yesterday), grabbed some clothes, went in the restroom, took a shower, brushed my teeth, put on my clothes, and stood in front of the mirror, adjusting anything that looked weird or bad.

Suddenly, Naruto walked in the room, chuckling evilly. He was carrying this giant scroll... Why is he carrying a giant scroll?

"...Good morning." Naruto deadpanned as he saw me.

"...Good morning." I deadpanned also, not really wanting to know what he's doing but also wanting to know what he's doing. Conflicting feelings!

"You're up early, ya know..."

"Probably because I'm used to you waking me up..."

"Ah." Naruto slowly nodded, walking over to his closet, throwing the scroll inside, and closing it. He then looked back at me. "This didn't happen, okay?"

"...Okay..." I nodded, sweatdropping. That was... Weird. Even for Naruto... And he does some really weird things...

"Anyway..." Naruto ran up to me, hugging me. "HAPPY BIRTHDAY, YA KNOW!" Naruto is hugging me way too often... But...

"T-Thank you!" I'm kinda surprised he cared to remember.

He let go of me and grinned, looking around. "We need to make the bed! Oh, and..." Naruto rushed over to the kitchen. "Hm... I don't think we have enough..." He's acting strange again...

"Whatcha doin'?" I asked, sliding next to him... ANIME STYLE!

This surprised him, making him jump up in alarm. "Nothing! Uh..." He pointed to the bed while running towards the door. "Make the bed! I'll be back, ya know!"

I sweatdropped again but nodded anyway. "Okay..." Naruto left the house again, locking the door behind him, while I just stood there, looking blank. "Ya know, if he keeps on doing this, I'm going to get annoyed." I pouted, walking over to the bed. "I mean, what is he doing anyway?! If it was something important, I'm sure it would have been in the Anime!" I quickly stopped talking, not wanting anyone to hear me talking about the Anime. From what I remember, there are ANBU stalking me... Although I can't sense them for some reason... So I need to watch what I say or do alone...

I sighed as finished making the bed, moving Chakra around inside my body. That's one of my hobbies now, since it's kind of fun to do and it'll help me later on. Actually... Why don't I practice my techniques? I don't use them much, but I'm going to have to sooner or later...

_Dog! Boar! Ram! _I did the necessary hand seals for the transformation technique, then sent the Chakra to my hands. I made a mental image of Naruto, and in a puff of smoke, I was now Naruto! The Chakra I sent to my hands were now gone, but it'll be back in an hour... More or less.

I ran to the mirror to check out my work, and was very pleased to see I actually did it correctly. I even made sure to add the whiskers on his face. They _did_ look cool, ya know...

I did the tiger seal and poofed back into my regular self. I'm so awesome!

Hm... Maybe I should try out the Clone Technique...

_Ram! Snake! Tiger! _I slowly did the hand seals (If I mess up it won't work, ya know!) and brought Chakra to my hands again. I only brought a little to my hands, though, so I don't overuse my Chakra. A clone of myself suddenly appeared next to me.

Here is how you can tell clones from the original person! Well, since I can sense Chakra... Clones have no Chakra! Shadow Replications do, but regular clones **don't**! Also, clones don't have shadows. And when they run they won't kick up dirt or crunch grass. They're like holograms. And I soon as you touch them...

I kicked my clone in the stomach, and as soon as I made contact it poofed away. Ah... Poor clone.

I sat on the ground, deciding to move my Chakra around my body again. It's the best thing to do when you're bored... Actually... What time is it?

I looked over to the digital clock, and it said 4:00. How random... And why do I sense so many people at the door?

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY JALEN!" They **all** exclaimed, bursting through the door. Surprising... Is one word I can say. Unexpected... Another word.

And when I say **all**, I mean **all**. Sakura, Naruto, Ino, Shikamaru, Chouji, Shino, Dog-boy (Kiba and Akamaru...), Hinata, Sasuke, and... Teuchi and Ayame?!

"Happy Birthday to you!" They all sang, walking in the house. I'm... I'm so surprised that I just stepped back. I couldn't really say anything... Just stare wide-eyed at them. After they were done singing, I decided to get some answers...

"W-what's going on?" I asked.

"It's your birthday, isn't it?" Kiba grunted, looking away indifferently. "Sakura invited all of us here."

"And Naruto invited me here." Sakura smiled. "He thought of everything."

"Naruto..?" I looked over at him, and he just grinned. I grinned back. "Thanks, everyone! Thanks for coming!"

"The food is over here!" Ayame cheered, Teuchi and her bringing a mobile Ichiraku Ramen shop. Everyone cheered, and that's when the party truly started. Everyone got in mini groups or whatever and started to talk and eat. I walked over to Naruto and Sakura, who were talking to Sasuke.

"I thought you weren't coming." Naruto crossed his arms.

"Hn. I just decided to come. Blockhead." Sasuke looked away.

"What did you say?!"

"Calm down, Naruto!" Sakura hit him in the head.

"Thanks a lot for throwing me a party, Naruto!" I thanked. Naruto nodded, just grinning.

"I thought that since you seemed pretty down I should throw you a party." Naruto explained. "Although, now my wallet is completely empty and my tab for Ichiraku Ramen is higher than ever, ya know..."

We all laughed at Naruto's misery. "Laughing at your shortcomings make us feel better about ourselves." I noted in between laughs, making all of us laugh more. Sasuke just smirked, too cool to laugh.

After about 30 minutes of partying, Naruto jumped on his bed, clapping to catch everyone's attention. "Everyone! It's time to distribute the presents, ya know!"

"We'll go first!" Ino exclaimed, grabbing Shikamaru who was just sitting on the ground and Chouji who was at the Ichiraku Ramen stand.

"You all got me presents?" I asked in surprise. Well, I did see the bags in their hands... But still.

"Of course! Team 10 got you this!" Ino grabbed the bags from Shikamaru and Chouji and handed them to me. Ah... Our hands touched...

I blushed as I opened the first bag. It was... A bag of potato chips. I can only imagine who these were from...

I still smiled at the gift and thanked Chouji. "Thanks!"

"No problem." Chouji nodded in between slurps. He brought the Ramen with him?

I opened up the second bag, and was almost surprised to see a Shogi Board. I knew who this was from...

"Thanks, but I don't know how to play Shogi..." I smiled sheepishly.

Shikamaru just sucked his teeth, looking away. "...Troublesome..."

Everyone laughed at Shikamaru's remark as I opened up the last bag. It was... A deluxe box of ramen?

"Lemme see that! Lemme see that!" Naruto snatched the box from me (Rude...), inspecting it. "Wow..! Thanks a lot, Ino, ya know!"

"It's not for you!" Sakura and I exclaimed, hitting him in the head. Naruto fell to the ground from the double hit while everyone just laughed.

"Thanks a lot, Ino." I smiled, placing the box to the side.

"Hmph. It seems I'm the only one on my team who actually put thought in my present." Ino looked away, crossing her arms. "And you're welcome."

"We will go next. Why, you ask? Because I think it's appropriate." Shino and his team walked over to me, placing bags in my hands. "You will open mine first."

"O-okay..." I nervously opened the box, expecting a spider to jump out at me. If a spider did jump out at me, I'd probably faint. I'm terrified of spiders...

Inside the box was... A pair of shades? They were identical to the ones Shino had on now...

"Shades?" I asked in confusion. I'm very thankful that it's not a bug...

"Do you not like them?" Shino asked, his shades glinting. I sweatdropped, but then smiled.

"Thank you! I'm glad you gave me a present." I thanked. Shino nodded, so I put the shades on the dresser.

"H-h-here you go..." Hinata's soft voice caught my attention. I turned around and saw her giving me a box. "It's a medical kit... I-I hope you like it..."

"Thank you." I grabbed the box from her, also putting it on the dresser. "I'm sure it'll come in handy." I looked over at Kiba, who gave me an indifferent look. "..."

"..." He stared at me.

"..." I stared back at him.

"...What?"

"Nothing~!" I sang, looking away. "I just figured... Since everyone else got me a present I thought that you would. Oh well, it's not like I expected one..."

"You didn't expect anything! You didn't even know we were coming!" Kiba yelled, grabbing a box from inside his jacket and tossing it at me. "Here." He grunted, turning away.

I stared at the box for a moment, then felt a vein pop. "...Dog food..?" Everyone laughed, minus Kiba and I. We just glared at each other. "What are you trying to say, mutt?"

"Mutt?" Dog boy looked confused for a second, but just glared back at me the next. "You should be thankful I got you that! It's probably the most nutritious thing you've had."

"Like hell I'm eating this!" I yelled, throwing the box on the ground and stomping on it. Everyone laughed again, while I put a hand on my temple, trying to calm down.

"Hn." We all turned to Sasuke who tossed me a pack of kunai.

"Awww! Sasuke gives the most helpful gifts!" Sakura and Ino cooed, trying to hug him. Sasuke turned away though, ignoring their presence. Everyone sweatdropped... Or most of us did.

"Thanks." I smiled. Sasuke just nodded.

"And now-" Naruto started...

"Me!" Sakura interrupted, knocking Naruto on the floor. I feel sorry for you Naruto... At least my girl doesn't push me around. I looked over at Ino... And she was hugging Sasuke from behind... Hn. "I got you these, Jalen!" She took out a night shirt, night pants, slippers, and cat ears...

"...Eh?" I deadpanned, looking blank. Is this some kind of joke? The shirt has an overly cute Anime cat on the back... And the pants are riddled with "Nya's" and "Meow's"... And the slippers squeaked "Nya" when Sakura squeezed them. "Do you think I have some kind of... Cat fetish, Sakura?"

She giggled. "No. But, it'll make you look even cuter when you sleep! Now can you say "Nya" for me?"

"Nya! Nya!" Naruto grinned, appearing in front of Sakura and me. This pissed Sakura off, making her elbow Naruto in the head. "Ow, nya!"

"You annoying idiot! Cha!" Sakura exclaimed, now stomping Naruto. "And don't you get up!"

"S-Sakura..." Naruto pleaded, but then fainted. I'm... Not going to comment.

"Anyway, say nya for me... Please?" Sakura asked, holding the clothes closer to my face.

I turned away, turning red. "N-Nya..."

"So cute~!" Sakura and Ino exclaimed. Even Hinata was blushing! Maybe I should wear these... She did spend her money for it...

"Thanks for the present, Sakura." I smiled, still pretty embarrassed, though...

I looked over at Naruto, who woke up and was rubbing his aching head. I don't expect him to have a present, since he paid for Ichiraku Ramen and also threw the party. That's how my mom was... Her logic was that she threw the party and paid for the food, that that was her present. I expect Naruto to do the same... It's not like he has money to blow. Or whatever...

"Sorry I'm late..."

We all turned our heads in surprise to see... Kakashi-sensei! What the heck?!

"Kakashi-sensei! How did you get in?" I asked in confusion. "And how did I not sense you?"

"I'm a Jounin." Kakashi-sensei answered as if that was the most logical answer. Well... I guess it was... "Anyway, here is my present." He tossed me a six scrolls. Naruto was about to say something, but stopped himself. That's a first, ya know.

"What's this?" I asked, trying to figure out how to open one of them. "Well, I know they're scrolls... But, what's in them?"

"It's a scroll that you carry things in. Such as... If you have too much shuriken or kunai to carry, you seal it inside this scroll for when you need it." Kakashi-sensei explained. I nodded. "You can also seal other weapons in a scroll, but remember each scroll has a capacity. You can't store _everything_ in one scroll."

"Wow! Thanks, Kakashi-sensei!" I exclaimed, smiling. This is probably the most useful thing I've gotten. "But, how do you do it?"

"Wait!" Naruto exclaimed, gaining everyone's attention. "I haven't given out my present!"

"Huh? You got me a present, too?" I asked.

"Of course, ya know!" Naruto ran to the closet and opened it, taking out all the bags he brought home yesterday. I forgot about those... "Open 'em! Open 'em!"

"Okay..." I eagerly opened one of the bags. There was a big pack of kunai, a big pack of shuriken, and two big packs of explosive tags. Wow... Just imagine how much this costed..! "Wow... Naruto! These are... Amazing!"

"Heh! Way better than Sasuke's!" Naruto looked over at Sakura, who was looking indifferent. Wow...

"These are some high class weapons, Naruto." Kakashi-sensei inspected. "The explosive tags are one of the more powerful ones, too. You really picked out some good stuff, Naruto."

"I can't wait to use it in battle!" I exclaimed in excitement. This is just great! All of these good presents people gave me! Well, more or less...

"And that's not all!" Naruto reached back in the closet, pulling out a long bag. I wonder what that is... He walked over to me and handed it to me. "This is what I really spent all my money on, ya know."

I eagerly opened the box, not really knowing what to expect, and gasped in surprise as I saw what it was.

"What is it?" Kiba asked. "It's probably some ramen or something." Naruto smirked.

"...Hehehehehehehe... Hahahaha..." Everyone stared at me in confusion as I took the staff out of the bag. It was a wooden staff, and the rubber part that you held was orange. The wood felt like nothing could break it... Very sturdy! "It's a staff, you mutt!"

I expertly swung the staff (As expertly as a beginner could) and brought it upon Kiba's head.

"Ow! Ow! That thing hurts!" Kiba fell on the ground, rubbing his head. "You wanna fight?! I'll tear you and your little stick apart!"

"Bring it on! I'm pretty tired of you anyway!" I yelled, holding the staff under my arm and pointing it towards Kiba. I then looked at Naruto. "Oh yeah, Naruto..." I grinned. "Thanks... A lot, ya know!"

"Hehehe, no problem, ya know, ya know!" Naruto smiled, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head.

"Anyway..." I looked over at Kakashi-sensei, who was silently reading his book. Oh yeah, the party started again, so people were talking and eating ramen and such. "Kakashi-sensei! Teach me how to seal things!"

"Uh-huh... Yeah..." Kakashi-sensei nodded, still reading his book. Wow..,

"Oh yeah, Jalen." Naruto started... I turned to look at him. "The girl I bought it from said that it's made from a light wood and that you can maneuver it fast... Or something like that. Oh, and you can also put Chakra in it to make your hits harder." Oh really? Like when I did that with Haku?

"Let's see, then." I brought Chakra to my hand, then to my staff. When I figured enough Chakra was in the item, I walked over to Kiba and hit him in the head again. Good thing he was talking to Shino and Hinata, so I got him off guard.

"Yowch!" Kiba yelled in pain, and turned around to meet my monotone face. "You know what..?! Let's go! You and me! Right now!"

"Ignored~..." I sang, turning around and walking away. "Anyway, Kakashi-sensei, teach me..."

"Alright, alright..." Kakashi-sensei put his book in his pocket, grabbing a green scroll from off of my bed. He placed it on the floor, then rolled it. The scroll rolled open.

"So that's how you open it..."

"And... Take one of these." Kakashi-sensei grabbed the pack of shuriken and opened it, letting all the shuriken fall on the scroll. "That should be enough, although this is the smallest scroll I gave you." He bent down, sending Chakra to his hands. "The bigger the item or item capacity, the more Chakra you put into sealing the item." He slammed his hand on the scroll... Although some of the shuriken were in the way. The scroll poofed in a puff of smoke and when the smoke cleared the scroll was closed.

"Wow!" I exclaimed. "That was so cool!"

"And then... If you need them." Kakashi-sensei rolled the scroll again, opening it, and there were no shuriken! There was a weird symbol on the scroll, though... "Just send the Chakra to your hand and slam it on the symbol." He sent the Chakra to his hand and slammed it on the weird symbol... And the shuriken poofed back onto the scroll. "And... Yeah. That's basically how you do it." He pointed to the biggest scroll he gave me. "You can seal your staff in that. Try it."

"Okay!" I grabbed the orange scroll off of the bed and rolled it on the floor, opening it. I then grabbed my staff off of the floor and placed it on the scroll.

I sent Chakra to my hand and slammed it on the weird circle symbol on the scroll. The scroll poofed in a puff of smoke, and when the smoke cleared the scroll was closed. "Awesome! It worked!"

"I also have this for you." Kakashi-sensei tossed me a belt. "The belt has scroll holders on it so you can carry your scrolls."

"Kakashi-sensei... I can really say..." I jumped up and gave the peace sign. "You're awesome!"

And after that... Everyone just partied. We had fun and stuff... Like regular kids in my world. I'm happy that Naruto threw a party for me... And I'm happy everyone came and bothered to bring a present. It was... It was amazing.

After the party... I spent all night putting things together, like putting my weapons in my holsters and sealing the rest. Naruto then surprised me by showing me the super forbidden Scroll of Seals. He said he borrowed it because he wanted to teach me the Multi Shadow Replication Technique. I then laughed, because I could never learn that with my Chakra. So we decided to learn the Shadow Replication Technique instead. As I said earlier, all of this took all night... So we slept during the whole next day.

_**What you've all been waiting for... Next chapter... THE CHUUNIN EXAMS! I've been waiting for these for a while now. So, I hope you are all ready for the awesomeness! And some epic fights! **_

_**Anyway, let me get some things organized here. I didn't really feel like putting it in the story, but here it is...**_

_**Jalen's Green Scroll holds his leftover shuriken. **_

_**Jalen's Yellow Scroll holds his leftover explosive tags.**_

_**Jalen's Silver Scroll holds his leftover kunai. **_

_**Jalen's Red Scroll holds his leftover kunai with explosive tags on them.**_

_**Jalen's Blue Scroll holds his medical kit Hinata gave him.**_

_**Jalen's Orange Scroll holds his staff. **_


	19. Chapter 19

**Naruto: The New Story **

Chapter 19: Enter The New Chapter! It's The Chuunin Exam.

"Jalen, it's morning time..." Naruto shook me, waking me up. I yawned, looking around. The floor was littered with my scrolls, and other various things. After my birthday party that almost three weeks ago, I'm still scared I might see a spider running around from Shino. If I do see a spider... I might have a heart attack. Considering how big it is, though...

"I'm up... I'm up..." I got out the bed and stretched my sleeping bones. Man... I am still tired... What time is it anyway? Oh yeah, we have missions today... "Naruto, can you make breakfast? I'm going to take a shower..."

"Uh-huh..." Oh my... Naruto looks way tireder than me! He's practically a zombie!

After taking a shower, brushing my teeth, and fixing my hair (It gets really messy while I sleep. Naruto's does, too.), I walked over to the breakfast table. The shower woke me up, but Naruto still looks zombie-like...

"Toast." Naruto said in monotone, sliding me a plate of toast with butter on it. "And milk."

I grabbed the milk and shook it. And as I expected... "It's spoiled."

Naruto didn't respond. He just finished his toast and slowly walked towards the bathroom. I chuckled.

After I finished my toast, I decided to clean up this table. It's filthy. There's trash on this table that was here a week ago... I'm not living in a dirty house!

"Shinpachi Style!" I exclaimed, grabbing a trash bag and sliding all the trash inside. Including the spoiled milk. I'm _not_ getting sick from that thing, no way!

After I finished cleaning the table, Naruto came out the shower, looking refreshed. He already had his clothes on, so all he needed to do was put on his sandals and forehead protector. I had to put on my sandals, forehead protector, and scrolls. You can never leave the house without your scrolls.

We walked out the house, Naruto locking it behind us, and started to stretch. "Alright, we're going to complete missions today, too!" Naruto exclaimed, running off.

"And get non-spoiled milk!" I added, chasing after him.

"Let's go!" Naruto exclaimed again, us two heading towards Sakura and Sasuke at the bridge.

Kakashi-sensei told us all to meet up there, so of course, that's where we're going. I think it's finally time for the Chuunin Exams... I hope it's finally time for the Chuunin Exams!

I've gotten a lot better since I first fell into this world. At first, I could hardly throw a kunai. Now, I think I'm above Sakura in terms of strength and ability. Naruto and Sasuke are still obviously ahead of me, though. I've also gotten very good at using my staff, and my Chakra control has leveled up tremendously. I guess it's because of how much I open and close my scroll... But, yeah! I also have plenty more Chakra than when I first made it here!

That's a good thing, too... Because Naruto taught me the Shadow Replication Technique. I can't make more than four clones, though. But hey, at least I finally have a new technique learned! And the best part is, it only has one seal! The clone seal! You just cross your index finger on one hand and your middle finger on your other hand... It's so simple.

"Good morning, Sakura!" Naruto greeted as we made it to the bridge. Sasuke was there, trying to look cool, and as you already know, Sakura was there, too.

"Good morning, you two." I greeted, not trying to leave Sasuke out. Naruto really needs to think before he acts... This is probably why Sasuke leaves the village. I'm going to try to stop it, though... Although, I shouldn't mess up the plot too much... I just shouldn't.

Sasuke didn't answer... Instead, he just glared at Naruto. Naruto glared back. Sakura and I just sighed.

"...No comment..." I muttered, looking away. Now it's awkward...

**~One Hour Later~**

"Hello everybody. Good morning." Kakashi-sensei waved at us, suddenly sitting on top of the bridge. Body Flicker is amazing... But that's not the point right now. I'm mad! We've been waiting for our damn Sensei for an hour now! I'm severely pissed! "I got lost today, so..."

"**YOU'RE LATE**!" Naruto Sakura, and I screamed, glaring at him. Kakashi-sensei jumped down from the bridge, smiling at us. That bastard...

"Um hey, um hey, Kakashi-sensei, well..." Naruto... Calm down. "We, the 7th squad, have been doing only easy missions, right?" Kakashi-sensei put his hands up to try and calm Naruto down. It didn't work. "Isn't there a mission where I can play an active role, and something that's more... Exciting? Something that makes my "way of the Ninja" you know, and my heart you know, like this?!" Naruto jumped up and his whole body seemed to radiate with energy! Is... Is that fire in his eyes?!

"Uh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I see what you're trying to get at..." Kakashi-sensei replied, sweatdropping. I laughed, because that was funny!

Naruto suddenly turned around and glared at Sasuke, putting his hands up like he was about to fight him. Okay... Naruto, you're acting strange, now...

Naruto then started smirking, which creeped Sakura and me out... Sasuke just stared back at Naruto in a completely uncaring way.

"I WANT TO SAY SOMETHING LIKE THAT!" Naruto suddenly exclaimed. I have to stop him now before things get... Out of control...

"Naruto, calm down!" I yelled, hitting him in the head. "You're turning into one of those creeps that say whatever pops into their heads. Think before you talk!"

"Come on, Naruto. We have a mission." Kakashi-sensei said, walking away. Aww... No Chuunin Exams...

"Roger!" Naruto shouted, skipping beside him.

"You're noisy!" Sakura yelled, glaring at Naruto.

**~Line Skip~**

After our missions (There were plenty, and Naruto got hurt in all of them. One way or another...), Sakura and I were holding up a half-dead Naruto. He couldn't walk, so we were supporting him. Sasuke walked behind us while Kakashi-sensei walked beside us, still reading his book. He's been reading it for the whole day!

We were just walking on a random road. There were no people by us, so it was quiet. Man... When are the Chuunin Exams?

"This is what you get for being reckless." Sakura was talking about Naruto, who, as I said earlier, was severely injured.

"Heh, you're a guy who needs help all the time." Sasuke... Why?

Naruto pushed Sakura and I off of him and turned around, glaring. "SASUKE!" He yelled, about to jump at him, but Sakura stood in Naruto's way, holding her hands out.

"If you're going to go wild, I'll finish you off now!" Sakura glared at Naruto. Hey... Wasn't that a threat?

"That was uncalled for, though, Sasuke." I yawned. "It's obvious you wanted to get that reaction out of Naruto, right?" I asked, smirking. "Obvious~"

"The teamwork is out of order lately..." Kakashi-sensei mused. Exactly, and it's because of the stupid rivalry with Naruto and Sasuke...

"Yeah!" Naruto nodded, pointing at Sasuke, who was walking away. "And you're the one who disrupts our teamwork, Sasuke!"

"That's you, idiot." Sasuke retorted. "If you don't want to owe me anything..." He turned around, giving Naruto a cold look. "Become stronger than me."

Naruto gave a surprised look, but then scowled. They just stared at each other, the atmosphere so tense you could cut it with a kunai.

What should I say? Should I just let them fight, or should I step in? Kakashi-sensei seems to not care... And Sakura looks scared...

"...Gah! You two are anno-"

"Shut up, Jalen!" Naruto and Sasuke said, not even letting me finish. I just fell on my knees, looking down sadly. How could they not let me even finish speaking? Are they that mad? I'm so sad...

After another minute of staring and such... Kakashi-sensei decided to talk. "Shall we call it quits for today? I have to go submit the mission reports now."

"Then, I'm going home." Sasuke said, turning around and walking away.

"Hey! Sasuke, wait!" Sakura exclaimed, running after him. I decided to get up now... It's not like the Chuunin Exams are starting anytime soon... "Hey, um, how does strengthening our teamwork now sound?"

"You're the same as Naruto." Sasuke replied. "If you have time to mind me, go practice a technique or two." He turned around, Sakura just having a smile frozen on her face. "To be honest, your abilities are lower than Naruto's." Sasuke walked away, leaving Sakura with tears running down her face.

"Even though that was comical, Sasuke, who are you to judge anyone's strength?" I asked. Sasuke stopped walking and gave me a cold look. "Yeah, that doesn't scare me. Anyway, just because of what happened to your clan doesn't mean you ha-" I couldn't finish, because Sasuke charged at me, his Sharingan activated. The look of hate he gave me... I couldn't defend myself. I just paused as he got closer and closer to me... And then...

Kakashi-sensei Body Flickered in front of me, grabbing Sasuke's hand that was coming for my face. "Sasuke, you never attack a teammate." YOU NO DO THAT!

"**Don't talk about my clan like you knew them. You didn't, so don't talk about them**!" I know more about them than you! Sasuke de-activated his Sharingan, snatched his hand from Kakashi-sensei, and walked away.

I exhaled my breath that I didn't know I was holding, and fell on my knees, completely shocked he would do that... Sasuke attacked me... Is this really how he feels?

Naruto was right beside me in the blink of an eye, glaring at Sasuke. "That bastard! I swear if he would have punched you I would have beat his ass, ya know!" I hope so. I really do.

Kakashi-sensei suddenly poofed away... Was that a Shadow Replication?

I looked over at Sakura, and she was at the point of tears. Well, she was crying earlier, but in a comical way. It's still pretty comical if you ask me, though... I'm still surprised Sasuke attacked me... And I didn't do anything! I was paralyzed in fear... Is this how I'm going to act during the Chuunin Exams? It's not animated... This is _real_. I'm going to have to fight real people... Am I ready fo- Why is there some type of box looking thing inching towards us? On closer inspection, I sense three people in there... Wait... Konohamaru...

"A square box with holes like that does not exist!" Naruto stated, pointing at the box. "It's _so _obvious!"

There was a moment of silence, before Konohamaru started speaking from inside the box. "I should have expected that from the man whom I have high hopes for and is also my rival!" The box started to glow, and it then exploded in pink and yellow smoke. Coughing could be heard from inside the smoke.

"..." I was about to make a snarky comment, but I kept my mouth shut. I do want to see how Moegi's hair looks like.

The smoke began to clear, and three kids were able to be seen coughing. "Hey, you used too much gunpowder..." They suddenly stopped coughing and looked up at us. Another moment of silence...

"The one who possesses the sex appeal of an adult, and the female Ninja from the senior group, Moegi!" WHAT THE HELL?! THAT WAS SO RANDOM!

Anyway, Moegi's hair was really orange, and it was up in two long buns... Or something like that. Very weird... How do people come up with these hair styles?!

"The one who loves dividing numbers, Udon!" That's all? That's a very lame mini-speech... Believe it.

Udon had regular hair like someone from my world would have. And... He really did have snot dripping from his nose... Ew...

"This village's number one genius Ninja, Konohamaru!" Not! Nope, not even close... Not at all...

...His hair is irregularly spiky... It's weird, too, ya know...

"The three of us make the Konohamaru Corps!" They all exclaimed, doing a pose.

"..!" Wait... Right before the Chuunin Exams... They did this! That means Kankuro and Temari are coming soon! Which means... IT'S STARTING!

"Just as I thought, it was the three of you..." Naruto deadpanned, putting his arms behind his head. "Ah. Why do the three of you have goggles on?" Ah. I just noticed that. And because they want to? It doesn't matter what they wear.

"We copied the old you." Konohamaru grinned, flashing his goggles.

"Oh?" Naruto monotoned... Why is he trying to act all disinterested with them? That's kinda rude, Naruto...

""Oh"? You've been treating us so cold lately!" Konohamaru shouted.

"He's just trying to act cool in front of you guys. Don't worry about it..." I reassured, starting to think they're ignoring me. I hope they aren't ignoring me... Since they haven't said a word to me, yet.

"See, I told you he does that." Konohamaru whispered in Udon's ear. But, I heard it with my awesome hearing!

"Well, Leader, do you have time right now?" Moegi asked... Naruto. Not me, of course. Do they like me? I don't think so...

"No." Naruto answered, then pointed a thumb to himself. "I'm going off to train!"

"And I'm going home!" I humphed, waiting for a reaction. No one gave me any attention. "Oh, come on! Why are you all ignoring me?!"

"You said that you would play Ninja with us!" Konohamaru yelled... At Naruto...

Naruto chuckled, scratching the back of his head. "Really?" He then gave me a distressed look, but I ignored him. Since they love to ignore me!

"What's the point in Ninja playing Ninja..?" Sakura asked, slowly walking towards us. She's **very** sad Sasuke rejected her **and** called her worst than Naruto. She kept walking until she got close enough to us, and gave us a faraway look. Or annoyed look. It was a mixture of both... I really need to hold in my laughter..!

"What is it?" Naruto asked her nervously. Sakura just stared at Naruto, making him blush. Can't... Laugh... "Hahahaha..." Naruto laughed nervously.

"Hey, who is this big girl?" Konohamaru asked. He then suddenly patted Naruto on the back, smirking... But, it looks more like the troll face... "You're better than I thought."

"Huh?"

"She's your... Right?" Konohamaru held up a pinky.

"Naruto. You should run. I sense danger." I warned, but of course, I was ignored.

He laughed, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head as he blushed. "You kids are pretty sharp." Well, I warned him.

"NO!" Sakura shouted, punching Naruto dead in his face. Naruto flew back, blood squirting from his nose. Konohamaru and his friends gasped... While I sweatdropped. "Huff... Huff..." Sakura panted in anger, evil Chakra radiating from her... Scary...

"What did you do?!" Konohamaru yelled at her in anger. Uh... She punched him.

Udon and Moegi ran over to the knocked out Naruto. "Oh no... Leader!" When he hit the fence it made a huge dent. Naruto was now on the ground, trying to recuperate, blood dripping from his mouth and nose... Sakura got back!

...

Did I use that right? I'm so embarrassed now...

"You ugly girl! Ugly girl!" Konohamaru yelled at Sakura. Should I tell him to stop? Nah, he'll just ignore me anyway. It's payback!

Sakura cracked her knuckles, an evil aura surrounding her. Konohamaru flinched at the look Sakura gave him, and slowly backed up. Sakura wouldn't let him escape... She charged at Konohamaru, hate glinting in her eyes.

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!" Konohamaru screamed as Sakura grabbed the boy by the collar and punched him in the head... Twice. She then stomped over to Naruto and proceeded to punch him in the head. She walked over to me, but I was prepared..!

"Lady Sakura! I didn't do anything! Please don't hit me!" I begged, getting on my knees and bowing to her. "You are ever so pretty! Not ugly at all!" Your attitude is, though...

"Hmph. As I thought." She started to cackle, then began to walk away.

"Ouch..." Naruto stood up, tears in his eyes from the pain.

"That ugly-wide-forehead girl... Is she really a girl?" Konohamaru... She's still in hearing width...

Sakura stopped walking... Her whole body stopped. I could hear a faint, scary sound in the background... She's snapped. She slowly turned around like a robot, glaring at us. And yeah, I'm pretty sure she's glaring at me, too... For whatever reason their is...

There was a moment of silence as Sakura just stared at us, we stared back. The only sound you could hear was the wind blowing...

...

...

...

She charged at us. Her eyes were like arrows, piercing our souls. But, we wouldn't just stand there and let her kill us. We ran away, but she was getting closer with every second passing.

We were sure her killing intent was mostly on Konohamaru, so he ran the fastest, somehow getting in front of us. We kept running, Sakura getting faster with every breath... Until...

**Thud**!

Konohamaru fell back, hitting the ground. We all stopped running and looked up at the two figures standing in front of us.

One boy, he looked maybe a year older than Naruto and I, wore an all black suite. There was a weird circle on the front of his shirt, though... And he carried what looked like a mummy wrapped up on his back. He was the one who pushed Konohamaru down, or maybe Konohamaru ran into him. I don't know, I wasn't looking.

And the girl beside him looked a little mean... She wore this white dress-like thing and carried a black metal thing on her back. I always wonder how Anime characters do things like that... Should I ask her? Anyway, she had blond, spiky hair in four ponytail-like things... These two look weird...

These two are also Kankuro and Temari...

"Huh?" Sakura slowed down to a walk, giving them a confused look. At least she isn't trying to kill us now.

Kankuro suddenly grabbed Konohamaru by the collar, picking him up.

"Konohamaru!" Naruto yelled.

"That hurt, brat." Kankuro grinned, hurting Konohamaru as he tightened his hold. Gah! These are one of those moments when you want to do something, but you don't want to mess up the story line... Should I speak?! I really want to...

"...How did he hurt you?" I asked, scowling at him. Kankuro gave me a look, but I ignored it. "How does a little kid bumping into you hurt? You're obviously just trying to bully some random kid on the street. And you do know the little kid you're trying to pick on is the Hokage's grandson."

"Exactly, stop it." Temari scoffed. "We're going to get scolded later..."

"But, I wanted to play around before some noisy people came." Kankuro dropped Konohamaru rather harshly. "But, since he's the Hokage's grandson, it would be wise to play with someone else." He glared at me. "How about you, Mr. Smart Mouth?"

"I'm really sorry! We were just playing, and-" Sakura tried to reason. It wasn't working, because Kankuro kicked Konohamaru who was on the ground. See, I don't remember this happening, so I changed it by opening my big fat mouth! Gah! I'm so stupid!

"Why you..!" Naruto charged at Kankuro, enraged that he would go so low as to kick a little kid. "W-wah!" Naruto suddenly tripped and fell backwards, his back hitting the ground. Kankuro must have used his puppet strings to trip Naruto. "What was that?!" Naruto asked in alarm.

"You're a puppeteer, aren't you?" I'll just change the story a little, I don't really care anymore. "You used puppet strings to trip Naruto, didn't you?"

Kankuro gave me a surprised look, and Temari gasped.

"You're so... Predictable." I yawned, shooing them away. "Now, can you leave? It's obvious that you two are from another village... All we need to do is tell The Hokage that you kicked his grandson and picked a fight with his Genin... And who knows what would happen to you two. Even though the girl didn't really do anything."

Everything was silent as my words registered in their brains.

"You piss me off." Kankuro growled. "I hate short people anyway." I'm not that short. "And you're so impertinent for someone younger than me." I smirked... I have no idea what that word means... "**It makes me want to break you.**" See, I would be laughing right now... But, I highly doubt I could beat them... Even if I know their moves...

"I'm not going to be responsible for what you do." Temari sighed.

"After this short kid, I'm coming for the red head over there." Kankuro brought his foot up, about to stomp Konohamaru.

"Stop!" Naruto and I exclaimed, Naruto rushing towards them. I suddenly felt someone up in the tree beside us... Is it Sasuke?

It wasn't. There was a red head standing upside down on a tree branch. Sasuke was nowhere to be seen... I couldn't even sense him..!

THIS is what I was talking about earlier! Whatever I say could change the story completely! Gah! Why am I so stupid?!

"If you stomp that kid Sakura will run to the Hokage and Naruto and I will take you on!" I tried to reason. "Whatever happens, you will be punished severely! And... And..." How am I going to tell them Gaara is right there looking at us?! "Your teammate is right there!" I pointed towards the tree, and they gasped. Kankuro stopped his foot, so Naruto was able to grab Konohamaru.

"Gaara?!" They both gasped as Gaara just stared at them.

"...You're a disgrace to our village." Yeah! Tell 'em, Gaara!

"G-Gaara..." Kankuro smiled nervously. Ha! Now bow down to my awesomeness! Muhahaha! I have saved Konohamaru, and myself! Thanks a lot, Gaara! We should be sand buddies! Or leaf buddies! Or... Sandy leaf buddies!

I have no idea what I'm rambling on about... But at least I know we aren't going to fight... Yet.

_**Oh! Why wasn't Sasuke there?! How will Gaara react about Jalen sensing him?! How will all the sand siblings react to Jalen being so... Impertinent? What other things will Jalen mess up?! Read to find out in the next chapter! **_


	20. Chapter 20

**Naruto: The New Story **

Chapter 20: Identify Yourselves! The Powerful Enemies That Have Arrived!

"Kankuro... You're a disgrace to our village." Gaara repeated. "Why do you think we came all the way here to Konoha?" I **really** want to say something, but I don't want to piss Gaara off. I **really** don't

"L-Listen, Gaara." Kankuro tried to reason. "These guys started it."

"So untrue!" I yelled, but closed my mouth right after the words left my mouth. "...You kicked The Hokage's grandson..." I added.

"He did..?" Gaara asked, glaring at Kankuro. Phew... Good. He's not glaring at me... "I'll kill you."

"I-I-I was at fault. I was really at fault." Kankuro stuttered. "I'm sorry. I'm really sorry."

Gaara turned to look at us. PLEASE don't kill us! I'm very sorry for not bowing in your presence, Gaara! "Excuse them, please." Well, Temari didn't really do anything...

Gaara stared at me, making me sweat in nervousness. After a while, Gaara started to... Uh... Dissipate in sand? I think I used that word right. But anyway, he was teleporting his body using sand. The sand fell to the ground, right beside Kankuro, and Gaara materialized again. That was... Cool.

"Let's go. We didn't come here to fool around." Gaara ordered.

"I know..." Kankuro mumbled, and they began to walk away.

"Wait up!" Sakura yelled, running up to them.

**YOU BIMBO! YOU UGLY-WIDE-FOREHEAD GIRL! YOU'RE GOING TO GET US KILLED! LEAVE THEM ALONE! YOU HORSE HEADED BITCH! YOU LOSE EARED SLUT! GAAAAHHHH!**

If only I can say these things out loud, but Gaara's eyes pierced through my voice bank... So I can't talk...

"What is it?" Temari asked. They didn't even turn around to look at her... She doesn't deserve the attention.

"Judging from your forehead protectors, you are Ninja from the Hidden Village of the Sand, right?" Sakura... Your point? "The Country of Fire and the Country of Wind have an alliance, but a treaty prevents Ninja from entering each other's country without permission. According to your reasons I will..." They all turned around to look at Sakura. Uh-oh... You're screwed now, Sakura...

Temari sighed. "What you're looking for is closer to you than you think. You don't know anything?" She held up a... License with her picture on it. "This is a traffic pass." Traffic pass? "As you guessed, we're Genin of the Hidden Village of the Sand from the Country of Wind." She put the traffic pass back in her pocket... Wait... What pockets? "We came to this village to take the Chuunin Selection Exams."

"Chuunin Selection Exam?" Naruto deadpanned. "What's a Chuunin Selection Exam, ya know?"

"You all really must not know." Temari smirked, crossing her arms.

"Naruto, you can advance from a Genin to a Chuunin if you pass the exam." Konohamaru told him. He's very knowledgeable for a little kid, isn't he?

"Really?! Then I should take it, too!" Naruto exclaimed. The sand siblings decided that this conversation was over, and they started to walk away. Should I ask for their names? Sasuke did... I guess I could...

"Hey! What're your names?!" I asked them. They stopped walking again and turned around, staring at me.

"Temari of the Desert." Temari answered.

"Kankuro of the Desert." Kankuro answered. I don't like you...

"...Gaara of the Desert..." Gaara answered, his green eyes staring straight into mine. "I am also interested in you..." Really? I'm flattered!

I coughed. "Oh, um... Uzumaki Jalen..." There was another moment of silence, Gaara just staring at me while I sheepishly scratched the back of my head. "I'm flattered you wanted to know my name! I'm no one special, really..."

"Hey, hey, what about me?" Naruto grinned, pointing to himself.

"I'm not interested." Gaara turned around, walking away. His siblings followed... Like the little puppies they were... They then jumped away, leaving my sending range.

"Konohamaru, do I look weak?" Naruto asked Konohamaru, a sad aura coming from him.

"Weaker than Jalen." Konohamaru nodded.

"..." I looked up at another tree, and saw three kids standing there. Gah... Those are the sound guys, right? Their Chakra creeps me out... And I don't want their attention... Not at all.

At least they don't come down here... Or I'm going to have to change the plot... A lot...

**~The Next Day~**

Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke, and I were now waiting for Kakashi-sensei on a random bridge. I'm still shooken up from seeing the sound guys... The thought of them trying to kill us is pretty scary... It makes me not want to take the exams...

Sakura suddenly shrieked... **RIGHT FUCKING BESIDE ME! GODDAMN IT SAKURA! I'M TRYING TO THINK, AND YOU JUST SCREAM RANDOMLY!? IT BETTER NOT BE SOMETHING STUPID! **

"Hey, hey, hey!" Sakura started. "Why does that person always make us wait when he's the one who called us up!"

"Yeah! Yeah!" Naruto agreed, nodding.

"How is he going to compensate a girl who woke up late and had to give up blow drying her hair?!" Sakura ranted.

"...I thought you were trying some new style..." I commented, snarkily.

Sakura glared at me, before yelling again. "What about your hair?! It's messier than usual!" My hair? Messy?

"My hair looks better than your hair!" I exclaimed. "Ohohohoho! Poor, poor Sakura! So demented in your own little world." I then added. "It's not my fault I woke up late..."

"Yeah! We couldn't even take a shower or brush our teeths, ya know!" Naruto... You didn't have to tell them that..

Sakura tried to form words, but what Naruto said just shocked her... The only thing she could mutter out was, "How dirty..." Your face? I know.

"Hello, gentleman." Kakashi-sensei suddenly Body Flickered onto the bridge, waving at us. "I got lost in the path known as life today, so..."

"**A LIE!**" Naruto, Sakura, and I exclaimed. This is becoming a regular occurrence...

Kakashi-sensei jumped down from the top of the bridge and landed in front of us, doing a tiger seal. "I'll get to the point. I recommended all of you to the Chuunin Selection Exam, so..." He went in his pocket and held out four receipt-like things. "Here, take these applications." Ah. Now I feel dumb.

We all gave Kakashi-sensei a blank look. Well, Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke did... I actually gave an excited look. I've been waiting for the story to finally progress!

"Chuunin Exam?" Sakura deadpanned.

"However, the recommendation does not force you to take it. You can decide if you want to take it or not." Kakashi-sensei explained.

"YES!" Naruto exclaimed, running up and jumping on Kakashi-sensei. "I love you, Kakashi-sensei!" He's more excited than me... And I'm pretty excited!

"Cut it out, get off of me!" Kakashi-sensei tried to push Naruto away from him, but Naruto was hugging Kakashi-sensei pretty tight. I notice Naruto's a hugger... Naruto let go of Kakashi-sensei after a while, so Kakashi-sensei decided to keep explaining. "Only those who wish to take it are to sign the applications, and five days after that, get to the Academy by 3 PM and go to room 301. That is all."

"Kakashi-sensei... You _really_ don't know how excited I am for this." I grabbed the application from him with my name on it. "Although... Can I talk with you?" I really don't want to die, and I need to hint that something is going on with these exams... Although... I don't want to take away the opportunity and **really** ruin the story... "Actually, never mind~! Hahahaha..." I looked down to read the application.

**Uzumaki Jalen**

**I recommend the one with the name above to the Chuunin Selection Exam under my name, Hatake Kakashi. **

**Jounin,**

**Hatake Kakashi**

Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke, and I were now walking along the bridge, reading our applications again. I feel pretty awkward around Sasuke, from what happened yesterday... And I can tell he was really mad because he didn't even show up when Gaara did. That's really scary... Because now I'm sure they have their attention on me, and I can't really take that kind of pressure. I'm surely going to be in one hell of a situation during the Chuunin Exams.

I know! I'm going to keep my mouth shut and not mess up the story line at all starting now! I can't afford to change anything else, so I'll just go with the flow for now!

"The Chuunin Exam, eh?" Naruto, you've been saying Chuunin Exam for a long time, now. Calm. Breath in... And out. Calm. "There must be a lot of strong guys."

"...Yeah..." I agreed, nodding my head. "Which means we have to be stronger than them..."

I don't want to... But, maybe we should do that Shadow Replication training thing. No! I'm stupid... That's too dangerous...

Although... Should I use Karin's technique, Heal Bite? Nooo! Everything will go by good! I'm just... Being too cautious! Too scared! Everything will be fine, because everything was fine in the Anime! Phew... I just... Ya know... Get carried away sometimes. Although, I do need to do one thing...

"...Sasuke..." I started. He didn't respond. He didn't even acknowledge me. Gah! This is going to be frustrating! "...I'm sorry for what I said yesterday. I was completely in the wrong for mentioning your clan, so I apologize."

Sasuke still didn't say anything, but after a while of silence, he nodded. "Hn." What even is that?! But, whatever... Whatever...

Sakura suddenly stopped walking with us, looking down. I guess she's scared of the Chuunin Exams, but she doesn't even know what she will have to do! I _do_ know, which is why I'm scared. I guess I have to help her...

"Sakura." I called out to her, gaining her shocked attention. Naruto and Sasuke also stopped walking, just now realizing Sakura stopped.

"What?" Sakura asked. Not in a mean way... In a confused way.

"...I'm scared, too." I sighed, making Naruto and Sakura gasp. "And I know you're scared, but you don't have to be." I looked at Naruto and Sasuke. "I'm 100% positive that we'll endure these exams... Because we aren't normal Genin." I grinned. "Sakura, to be honest, I think that you're stronger than me. You definitely have more ability than me, and I know you're smarter than all of us on this team." Sakura gasped again. Can... Can you stop? "You have the best Chakra control on this team..." Actually, I think I might have better control... "But, anyway, don't think that you're dead-weight in this group, cause you aren't."

Everything was silent as my little speech registered in everyone's brain. Naruto grinned, Sasuke just... Whatever he does, and Sakura gave me a surprised look. She then just smiled. "Thank you, Jalen."

**~Three Days Later~**

Ah, the Chuunin Exams are in two days. I'm literally bored out of my mind just waiting. Naruto asked me to go walk with him, but I had to decline. Walking around with all these foreign Ninja here, and the thought of Orochimaru lurking around... Scares the shit out of me. So after Naruto left, and I couldn't sense his Chakra anymore, I left the house. I'll walk around alone... No need for me to get **that** involved with everything.

As I was walking around, a thought came into my mind. Why not go to the training field?

...

Ha! Hell no! With all these dangerous Ninja here, half of them wanting to destroy our village, it would be stupid to go so far away from the village. Really stupid.

"I'll just go to the bridge, then. It's not like I'll get mauled over there." I sighed, finding my way to the bridge with some difficulty. My sense of direction is so screwed... Especially in this giant village! But, I found it after a while, and no one was there, luckily. To be exact, no one was around the area either! Lucky me!

But... My luck seemed to run out, because I suddenly sensed someone behind me...

"What the-" I turned around, and was met with a kick in the stomach! "Gah!" I flew back and landed on the ground, coughing up blood! Man, I have too many questions right now, but I need to defend myself... Because he's charging at me!

I quickly went in my weapon holster and took out a kunai with an explosive tag on it. This made the man slow down a little, but he jumped back when I threw it at his feet, the kunai exploding on contact.

Good! Now that I have some space, I quickly grabbed my orange scroll, opening it. I sent the Chakra to my hand and slammed it down on the weird circle, the scroll exploding in a puff of smoke.

The man was charging at me again, now, so I grabbed my staff and prepared for close combat. As he charged at me, I looked at his forehead protector, which showed me he was a rain Ninja! Damn! I'm being attacked by a rain Ninja!

"Who are you and what do you want?!" I asked as we clashed weapons. He was holding an umbrella while I was attacking with my staff.

"It's perfect that I can easily sneak in the village during the Chuunin Selection Exams." Was all the man said, pushing harder with his umbrella to knock me down. I jumped back just in time to avoid another kick, but when I landed I started to feel the affects from the first kick. I can't just recuperate from a kick to the stomach that fast! It hurts like hell! "Bring me the Scroll of Seals, and I'll let you live."

The Scroll of Seals?! Why would he want that?! And why is he asking a lowly Genin?!

As I coughed up more blood (Gah! How much blood do I have?!), the man threw his umbrella high in the air. I knew this technique... Because I remembered it from the Anime! The umbrella is going to rain down senbon on me... And I've had enough senbon trouble with Haku...

"Damn!" I sent Chakra to my feet and jumped out the way, senbon littering the place I was just at. "What do you... Want with the Scroll of Sealing?!" I panted, clutching my chest. Why did that kick hurt so much?

"Do I need a reason?" The man sneered, grabbing his umbrella that fell back on the floor. "And how did you dodge that attack? It's like you knew it would happen..."

I decided not to answer (It's not like I had an answer anyway.) and grabbed another kunai with an explosive tag on it. Ya know, I'll just call it an explosive kunai. That sounds better...

"You're gonna throw that thing again? I can easily dodge it." The man started doing hand seals, so I put the explosive kunai back in my holster and started my own set of seals. Well, seal...

_Clone Seal! _"Shadow Replication Technique!" I felt a bunch of my Chakra leave me as four clones of myself appeared around me in a puff of smoke. They all had staffs in their hands, and were glaring at the unknown man.

"Mist Concealment Technique." The man finished his hand seals and struck a pose. Mist started to surround us, but I didn't really need to see him. I can still sense him... "Now, boy... Try and find me..." But, I already found you. You're right behind me, slowly walking towards me. 3... 2... 1...

"Yah!" I swung my staff around, hitting the man straight in the face!

"Gah!" The man flew back, the mist vanishing as he fell on the ground. Blood was dripping from his nose as he tried to get up. "How did... You..?"

"You just picked the wrong opponent, is all!" All of my clones, including me, yelled as we charged at the man. "Now, die!"

"W-Waaaaahhhhhh!"

~Two Days Later~

It's FINALLY time for the Chuunin Exams! I'm so happy, and my self-esteem is level 100 now since that attack! I can't believe I beat that rain Ninja, although... That Chakra seemed faintly familiar... Whatever! No point thinking about it now!

And we would be in the academy building right now, if not for SAKURA! Why is she late?! It's like, 3:10! 3:10! Gah! So, Naruto, Sasuke, and I are stuck outside the academy until Sakura comes...

"Sakura! You're late, ya know." Naruto waves at Sakura, who's slowly walking towards us.

"Hi..." Sakura stares off into the distance, probably remembering something unpleasant. She then smiles at Sasuke. "Good morning, Sasuke."

"Morning." Sasuke nods.

"Finally! Do you know how long we've been waiting, Sakura? Let's go!" I urged, rushing inside the building. They all followed me, although I heard Sakura mumble something under her breath. It better stay under her breath! I'm determined for these Exams!

We walked down a hallway and stopped in front of a door. "I sense a lot of Chakra being used in there..."

"Then let's go in, ya know!" Naruto exclaimed, pushing me. Naruto... Calm.

We all walked through the door, and the scene that was playing was all too familiar. Izumo and Kotetsu in teenage form, not letting anyone in. There was a crowd of people, and in front of everyone was... A boy in green spandex... A boy with long hair and eyes like Hinata... And a girl on the ground with two hair buns. Hmm... Lee, Neji, and Tenten?

Okay, since the story is progressing again, I can not say anything! I will not mess up the story line! Nope! Not at all!

"A Chuunin is a commander of a squad." Kotetsu explained. "It's the commander's responsibility for failing any mission and the death of their subordinates. And to think, these kids are trying to..."

Izumo smirked. "What's wrong with sifting out those who aren't going to pass anyway?" I doubt _you_ passed on _your_ first try!

"That's a sound argument. But I _will_ pass." Sasuke said as he, Naruto, Sakura, and I walked up to them. Naruto was smirking, Sakura was frowning, Sasuke was smirking, and I just had a blank look. "And undo this field you've created using an illusion technique. I want to go to the third floor."

Many people behind us started mumbling things like, "What's that guy talking about?" and such. They think that we're on the third floor, but we aren't. It's obviously an illusion technique with all this Chakra floating around. So simple.

"Oh?" Kotetsu frowned.

"You noticed?" Izumo asked, also frowning.

"Sakura, how about you?" Sasuke asked. "You should've noticed first."

"What?" What indeed. _I_ obviously noticed first!

"Your analyzation skills and illusionary technique know-how is the best in our squad." Sasuke... Don't goad her.

"Sasuke..." Sakura muttered. "Thank you..." She then smirked. "Of course! I've noticed it already! Because, this is the second floor."

"Yep." Naruto and I nodded. The sign above the door they were guarding changed from 301 to 201. The Chakra around us went away, too.

"Hn. You're pretty good. But just being able to detect it isn't enough..." Kotetsu smirked. "Cha!" He suddenly kicked for Sasuke's head, but Sasuke was quick enough to react, and he motioned to attack Kotetsu.

Suddenly, in a green blur, Lee ran in between them, stopping both of their attacks. Everyone gasped at the fast speed Lee demonstrated, and Kotetsu jumped back.

"Hey, you broke the promise." Neji and Tenten walked up to us. I noticed Tenten was staring at me, but I acted like I didn't notice. I _don't_ want to change **anything**! "You're the one who didn't want to gather attention by doing something that stands out." I understand that completely.

"But..." Lee looked over at Sakura, blushing. He suddenly walked over to her, who gave him a confused look. "My name is Rock Lee. You are Sakura, right?"

"What?" Sakura asked.

Lee did a nice-guy pose. "Let's go out together! I will protect you until I die!" His teeth flashed as he grinned.

I laughed, which caused me to get looks from a lot of people, but I don't care! That's hilarious! And Sakura's face..!

"No way..." Sakura's face was _very_ blank, but you could see she felt sick.

"What..?" Lee was depressed now, and his nice guy pose was slugging.

There was a moment of silence as Sakura gave Lee a sick look, and Lee gave Sakura a depressing look. Just being near Lee made me feel a little depressed... Gotta hold in my laughter...

"You're too... Unique... For my taste..." Sakura deadpanned. Lee put his head down in sadness, his heart crumbled up and thrown out the door. Naruto and I laughed.

"Hey, you there." Neji called out to Sasuke. "Identify yourself."

"You're supposed to identify yourself before you ask." Sasuke put his hands in his pocket.

"You're a rookie, aren't you?" Neji asked. "How old are you?" Is that any of your business?

"I'm not obligated to answer that." Was all Sasuke said.

"What?" Neji glared. Uh-oh...

Tenten walked over to Naruto for some reason, tapping him on the shoulder. "Hey, Naruto, was it?"

"Huh?" Naruto gasped as he saw Tenten. "Oh! It's you! Uh..."

"Tenten." She giggled. Uh... How do they know each other?! Did I mess up the story _again_?! "Anyway, who's that?" She pointed at me, blushing. Is she okay? And it's very rude to talk about someone right in front of them...

"Oh yeah! That's my brother, Jalen, ya know!" Naruto exclaimed. I sweatdropped. What is going on?! "Jalen! Come here!"

"Yare... Yare..." I yawned, walking over to them. "Hi, have we met before?" I was talking to Tenten, of course.

She giggled. "No, but Naruto here has told me about you. My name's Tenten." Yeah. I know. "Ah. I wish we could talk more, but my team is calling me... See ya!" She ran over to her team, who started to question why she was talking to us.

"...Weird girl." I mumbled.

"Uh-huh." Naruto nodded, crossing his arms.

"Sasuke, Naruto, Jalen, let's go!" Sakura smiled. She grabbed Naruto and Sasuke's hand, while I put my arm over Naruto's shoulder. We all walked down the hallway and upstairs, heading to room 301.

I think these exams are going to be nice... Well, that's one word. Another is crazy, hard, scary, and... Yeah... But still nice.

_**I hope you all liked this chapter! Uh-huh! Review and stuff... Uh... Yeah... Bye nii~!**_


	21. Chapter 21

**Naruto: The New Story **

Chapter 21: Energy 120 Percent. A Modern and Rocking Challenge!

"You there with the sharp eyes! Wait!" I guess it's time for Lee to fight Sasuke. From where we are, we seem to be in the right place. Although, distinguishing things that were once Anime into real life... It's kinda hard, ya know?

"Hm?" We all turned around and looked up on the second floor. Lee was standing there, scowling down at Sasuke.

"Eek!" Sakura exclaimed in surprise, not really wanting to see Lee again so soon.

"What do you want?" Sasuke asked, a little too rudely for my taste. It's not like he's talking to me, though, so it doesn't matter... I guess.

"Will you fight me right here, right now?" Lee asked, still scowling.

"Fight you right here, right now?" Sasuke narrowed his eyes.

"Yes." Lee jumped down to the floor we were on. Doesn't that hurt? He makes it look so easy! It didn't even make him flinch. "My name is Rock Lee." Yeah, you told us already. He pointed at Sasuke. "You're supposed to identify yourself before you ask for someone else's name, right..?" Not me, but whatever. "Uchiha Sasuke."

Sasuke's eyes widened, but not really in surprise. "So you know my name."

Lee nodded, getting in some weird fighting style. "I would like to fight you." We know. You said that already. "I would like to see how my moves do against a descendant of the genius Ninja clan. Also..." He looked over at Sasuke, making her shiver. He then blushed. "Sakura, I love you."

"Noo!" Sakura screamed, furiously shaking her head. "I hate those eyelashes!" She then grabbed herself, shivering like crazy. "Your hairstyle, fuzzy eyebrows, and everything about you is too unique for me!"

"You're an angel."

"You don't say that after being vigorously rejected! Twice! And she even noted your faults!" I exclaimed. I know I was gonna keep my mouth closed, but gosh! You just don't say that! You just don't!

He blew a kiss at her... A magical heart somehow came from his eyes and floated towards Sakura..! I stared at the heart in amazement as it came closer and closer to her, Sakura on the point of tears as she dodged it!

"Very nice." Lee praised. "How about this?" He blew eleven kisses at her... Eleven! I actually counted... Because it was the most amazing thing for hearts to magically appear and float at her.

"**AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!**" Sakura was now crying as she narrowly dodged the hearts. The last heart was coming straight for her lips, but she amazingly bent down backwards, avoiding the heart by an inch. Her head painfully hit the floor, though. "Huff... Huff..." She panted, standing up with a bump on her head. She had a sickly annoyed look, before snapping. "Stop throwing weird things at me! I had to dodge those like my life depended on it!"

"You don't need to avoid them that much..." Lee... Yes. She does.

"So you're challenging me even though you know my name is Uchiha?" Sasuke asked. "I'm sorry to say this, but you're ignorant." He glared. "Do you want to see what this name of Uchiha is capable of, fuzzy eyebrows?"

"Please." Lee, you _are_ ignorant. Not about the fight, but you didn't do anything when Sasuke called you ignorant! I wouldn't take that, I'd tell him off, ya know! Ya know..? Hey, where's Naruto? He hasn't been talking lately...

I looked over at Naruto, and he was glaring at Lee and Sasuke. Wow... No comment...

"Wait!" Naruto demanded. I guess it's time for him to get his ass kicked by Lee, too. "I'll fight the fuzzy eyebrows guy, ya know."

"Hey, don't butt in..." Sakura whispered.

"Don't worry, it'll only take five minutes, ya know." Naruto insisted, taking a step up.

"I don't want to fight you. I want to fight an Uchiha." Lee said. That's pretty... Mean. It doesn't matter, though. _I'm_ not going to ask for a fight I know I'll lose.

"Geez, everyone is annoying me with this "Sasuke, Sasuke" thing, ya know!" Naruto charged at Lee, who just stood still in a fighting pose. Naruto jumped up, about to punch Lee in the chest, but Lee just side-stepped and tapped Naruto on his fist. Naruto glared as his attack was completely avoided, but took the opportunity to do another attack. "Damn it!" Naruto put his hands on the ground and brought his feet up, trying to kick Lee in the face.

It didn't work. Lee brought his head back to avoid the kick, and then bent down, spinning his leg around. "Konoha Wind Strike!" His spinning leg hit Naruto's hand, making Naruto fall flat on his butt and spinning around.

"Ah!" Naruto spun so fast he spun towards the wall behind them and hit it. "Gah!" He slumped on the wall, fainted.

That was impressive! Even though Naruto got his ass kicked, that was still a good battle to watch.

Lee got back in his pose as if nothing happened and looked back at Sasuke. "I will declare this now. You cannot defeat me. Why, you ask?" Oh, God! Shino has possessed Lee! "I am the strongest of the Konoha Genin right now." Lie. Neji is, but you're a close second.

Sasuke smirked. "Interesting. I'll accept it."

"Don't, Sasuke!" Sakura pleaded. "We have less than thirty minutes to turn in our applications."

"Don't worry, Sakura." I reassured, smirking. "This fight won't take _that_ long."

"It won't take long at all." Sasuke took his hands out of his pockets. "This'll only take five minutes!" He suddenly charged at Lee, the latter tensing at the sudden movement. Sasuke punched at Lee, but Lee suddenly disappeared.

"Don't let your guard down, Sasuke!" I warned. "He's fast!" Sasuke nodded, but Lee was right above him in a second.

"Konoha Whirlwind!" Lee exclaimed, kicking for Sasuke's face. Sasuke ducked just in time, but Lee was quick; he did the same move Naruto tried to do earlier and kicked again for Sasuke's head. Sasuke knew the only thing he could do right then was to block, so that's what he was doing now. But, Lee suddenly changed his attacking spot, and kicked for Sasuke's cheek. The action was too fast for Sasuke to react too, and was kicked a few feet back.

"Sasuke!" Sakura exclaimed in worry.

"You need to be faster!" I coached. "This guy is way too fast, so the only thing you can do now is try to keep up with the Sharingan!"

Lee tilted his head as Sasuke tried to stand up. It took him a while, but he was now back on his feet, smirking at Lee. Uh... I don't think you should be smirking at this time...

"I know, Jalen." I suddenly felt most of Sasuke's Chakra go to his eyes, and when he looked up, they were as red as an apple. He activated the Sharingan!

Sakura was clearly confused. She didn't know Sasuke had gained the Sharingan, so she could only smile in confusion when Sasuke activated them. Heh, I wonder how no one told her...

Sasuke charged at Lee again, this time only faster. It didn't matter whether he charged fast or not, because Lee just ran in front of Sasuke, and in the blink of an eye, Lee uppercutted Sasuke. With his foot of course.

"Augh!" Sasuke closed his eyes in pain as he flew up, his chin now bruised from being kicked there. Sakura widened her eyes in surprise, and I even seemed to be a little surprised by how fast that escalated.

Sasuke landed on the ground, but instantly tried to get back up. He's persistent.

"Yes. My moves are neither Ninja nor illusionary techniques." Lee explained. He ran for Sasuke, who was up now, and brought his leg down to hit Sasuke in the head. Sasuke managed to sidestep, but Lee was assaulting him, kicking at Sasuke left and right. Sasuke was dodging most of them for a while, but Lee managed to kick Sasuke in the face again.

"S-Sasuke!" Oh, it seems Naruto's awake.

Sasuke ignored Naruto and continued dodging Lee's assault, but Lee was getting more hits in, signaling that Sasuke was getting tired. Lee found that out after a while, and paused. Sasuke took that opportunity to punch Lee in the face, but Lee brought his arm up blocking it, then elbowed Sasuke in his stomach.

Sasuke stumbled back, holding his aching stomach, his right eye closed.

"Yes. My moves are just hand-to-hand combat." Lee got back in his pose. "Sasuke." He disappeared, and appeared right behind Sasuke. Uh-oh... "You may not believe it right away, but..."

"Damn it!" Sasuke brought his arm back, trying to hit Lee, but Lee jumped back just in time.

"I hear that the Sharingan has the ability to see through illusionary, hand-to-hand, and Ninja techniques." Sasuke was scared, now. You could see it on his bruised face. "You can definitely see through illusionary and Ninja techniques that require forming seals and kneading Chakra. But for hand-to-hand combat, it's a little different."

"W-What do you mean?" Did Sasuke just stutter?! OMG!

"Even if you can see my movement with your Sharingan, your body does not have the speed to keep up with mine. In other words, there's no point even if you can see with your eyes, if you can't keep up with your body." Lee was glaring at Sasuke now. "Do you know their are genius-types and hard-working-types among the strong? If your Sharingan is a genius-type that carries the blood of Uchiha..." Sasuke was tired of him talking, and charged at Lee again. "I am a hard-working-type that continuously improved my hand-to-hand combat." Sasuke punched at Lee, but Lee easily moved and avoided the strike. "Your Sharingan and my ultimate hand-to-hand combat are a bad combination."

Sasuke punched at Lee two more times, but Lee dodged both times and prepared his own punch. Sasuke brought his arms up to block it, so Lee smirked, bringing his foot up and kicking Sasuke on the chin... Again! It was a trick!

Lee bent down as Sasuke flew high in the air, and then appeared behind him. It's time for Lee's special attack...

"Gah... Shadow Dance..." Sasuke gasped.

"And I will prove to you with this move..." The bandages on Lee's right hand unwrapped themselves. "...That hard work surpasses geniuses!" Sasuke widened his eyes in surprise, unable to do anything. "I win!"

Suddenly, a lollipop-like senbon came out of nowhere and stuck itself on Lee's bandage. Everyone gasped, minus me, as Lee's attack was stopped.

"That's..!" Lee gasped as he looked over to... A red turtle with a Ninja forehead protector.

"Stop right there, Lee!" The turtle demanded.

"Aaaaahhhhh!" I screamed as I pointed at the turtle. In Anime, a talking turtle looks normal. In real life, a talking turtle is terrifying. "How is that turtle talking?! And... And how did it throw that senbon thing?!"

"Sasuke!" Sakura ran up, to catch the falling Sasuke. She caught him, sliding on the ground as she did so. That was close...

Lee landed on the ground, bowing down in front of the turtle.

So... All that's happened. Sasuke was just defeated, and before Lee could do his finishing move, this turtle came out of nowhere and stopped him. Lee is now bowing down in front of said turtle, while Sakura and Sasuke are on the ground. Naruto is on the ground, too, unbelieving what just happened. I'm the only one who's not really doing anything...

"Are you OK, Sasuke?" Sakura asked, clearly worried about him. Sasuke didn't answer, he was too disturbed that he was beaten so easily.

"You were watching?" Lee asked... The turtle... Wait, how did I not sense that thing? Probably too engrossed in the fight...

"Lee, that move is forbidden." The turtle started to scold.

"I'm so sorry! I just got carried away!" Lee apologized. The turtle glared at Lee, making him jump up, afraid. "B-B-But, I wasn't going to use the Reverse version... Really! I'm telling the truth..!"

Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke, and I sweatdropped at what was going on in front of us.

"Hey, Hey." Naruto called out, running up to us.

"What?" Sakura asked.

"That's a turtle, right? Right?" Naruto pointed towards the turtle. Uh...

"Isn't that obvious by just looking?!" Sakura yelled.

"So, so, a turtle can become a Ninja teacher, too?" Naruto... What are you talking about?!

"I don't know!"

"Why are you so freaking loud, Sakura?!"

"**You fool!**" The turtle boomed, startling all of us. "Did you think that excuse would work?! You should know very well what it means for a Ninja to expose his moves!"

"S-Sir!"

"Are you prepared to face the consequences?" The turtle asked.

"Sir..."

"Guy-sensei, please take care of the rest." The turtle closed his eyes, and in a puff of smoke, a new Chakra level was here. When the smoke went away, there was a man in all green tights. Very identical to the ones Lee is wearing...

"You guys are in the spring time of your life, aren't you?!" Guy-sensei exclaimed, striking a pose on top of the turtle... It's nauseating to look at him...

"**AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!**" Naruto, Sakura, and I yelled. "**AN EVEN MORE UNIQUE GUY CAME OUT!**"

"I think I'm going to be sick..." I added, my stomach suddenly acting up.

"Super unique... And super bobbed hair..." Sakura muttered.

"A-And super eyebrows..." Naruto muttered. "This is the first time I've seen such a thing..."

"HEY! Don't make fun of Guy-sensei!" Lee snapped.

"The Hell I won't, ya know! We don't know how to react because of all these weird things!" Naruto shouted.

"What did you say..?!"

"Cut it out, Lee..." Guy-sensei sighed.

"Ah." Lee turned around and nodded. "Sir."

"You..." Guy-sensei began to charge up energy... Like he was in some completely different Anime. "IDIOT!" He punched Lee **dead** in the face. Lee flew back, blood coming out of his nose and mouth like a hose! Is... Is that healthy?!

Lee flew on the floor, trembling as he just lied there. Uh... Is _that _healthy?! Guy-sensei walked over to him and bent down. Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke, and I just stood there... Mixed emotions present on our faces.

"Lee, you... You..."

"S-Sensei!" Lee look up at his Sensei, said Sensei giving Lee a hard look.

"Lee..."

"Sensei! I... I..."

"It's okay, Lee, don't say anymore."

"Sensei!" Lee jumped up and hugged the man, tears streaming down his face.

"Lee!" Guy-sensei hugged Lee back, tears streaming down his face as well.

Naruto gave a confused look. Sakura gave a sickly perverted look. Sasuke gave an annoyed look. And I gave a blank look. This is just sick, though.

"Yes, this is youth." I don't even want to know what else is _youth_ to him. I really don't.

"Sensei!" Lee cried, still hugging Guy-sensei. Even the turtle is crying! I want to cry out in terror... And sickness...

Naruto suddenly looked over at Sakura, who still had that sickly perverted look going on. He smiled. "That kind of situation isn't so bad." Oh! Good one, Naruto! But, it's obviously going to fail.

"Idiot! It's dangerous! Too dangerous!" Sakura screamed.

"It's okay, Lee." Guy-sensei put his hand on Lee's shoulder. "It's normal to make mistakes when you're young."

"You're too kind, Sensei!" Lee was still crying.

"Now." Guy-sensei pointed off to... Somewhere... "Run 100 laps at the training ground in the sunset!"

"Yes, Sensei!" Lee wiped away his tears, smiling at his Sensei.

"Let's go!" Guy-sensei smiled back.

"Sir!" And they started to walk away, Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke, and I just staring at them in... Annoyance, disgust, and... Something else. Something that's not good.

"…Hey, w-w-wait a s-second!" Naruto demanded. "We were still talking, ya know!"

"What are you going to do about the Chuunin Exams? There isn't any time left." You're right, Sakura. This was a waste of time.

"What?" Guy-sensei turned around in confusion, but then smiled. "Oh, yeah..." He turned again to look at Lee and coughed. "Lee, I'm going to punish you for fighting and breaking a promise after the exams, okay?"

"Yes!"

Guy-sensei struck another... Weird... Questionable... Pose. "Do 500 laps!"

"Sir!"

"...They're stupid." Sakura deadpanned.

"Hey, hey, so what's that turtle?" Naruto asked, pointing at it.

"It must be a Ninja animal... I think." I answered, um... When are we going to actually start these exams?!

"Ack!" Sakura gave a sick look, and then gave a scared look. "He's looking our way!" And she was right... He's practically staring at us!

"You four, is Kakashi-sensei doing well?" Guy-sensei asked us.

"You know Kakashi?" Hey, I've always wondered why Sasuke never calls Kakashi-sensei, Kakashi-sensei. He's so... Rude...

"I don't just know him..." Guy-sensei smirked. "People call us Eternal Rivals."

"That sounds so fake!" Naruto and Sakura exclaimed.

"How rude!" You're right, Lee. That was rude of my two rudest teammates. "Guy-sensei is really..."

"It's okay." Guy-sensei reassured. "Don't say it out loud. Show it in your attitude." And... Guy-sensei... I blinked, and he was gone! Lee was standing by himself! "The record stands at 50 wins and 49 losses." He's behind us! He's going to rape us! Gahhh! Noooo!

We all gasped and turned around.

"He..." Sasuke couldn't finish.

"When did he..?" Naruto couldn't finish either.

"Let me tell you that I'm stronger than Kakashi-sensei." He smirked. I don't believe that for a second, but whatever.

"How's that? Guy-sensei is amazing, isn't he?!" Lee... SHUT UP!

Guy-sensei grinned at Sasuke. "Lee caused you trouble, but please forgive him for the sake of my face. This refreshing face, that is." Refreshing?! Not at all! "Lee and the four of you should get to the classroom soon." We should've been in the classroom!

Lee started to wrap up his bandage over his hand again. While he did that, I caught a glimpse of his hands. They were **really** bruised. Like, really!

"Do your best, Lee!" Guy-sensei saluted. "Farewell!"

"Sir!"

Guy-sensei poofed away... And so did the turtle, who I forgot about.

"Sasuke..." Lee started. "Let me say this before I go." God... I just want to go! Gah! "To be honest, I came here to test my skills." Didn't you say that before? "I lied a while ago. The strongest of the Konoha Genin is in my team." Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "I entered this exam to defeat him. And you are one of my targets as well."

"Why? You already beat hi- Uh, never mind." I whistled, ignoring Sasuke's glare.

"Prepare yourself for the exams!" Lee exclaimed before jumping up, doing a few flips (Totally unnecessary.), and landing on the floor above us, running off.

Sasuke clenched his feet as he just glared off into space. You know, I think it's unhealthy to be glaring all the time. You know? Someday, your face will be stuck like that, then what?

"Sasuke..." Sakura, stop babysitting Sasuke. He lost, so what? Everyone loses sometimes, and it's annoying how big Sasuke's ego is.

"Looks like the Uchiha clan isn't that great after all." Naruto mumbled, his hands behind his neck.

"Naruto..!" Sakura and I started. That idiot! He knows how sensitive Sasuke is!

"**Shut up.**" Sasuke looked down. "**Next time, I'll slaughter him.**"

"You lost so badly, though." Naruto looked away.

"What's with you, Naruto?!" Sakura and I yelled.

Sasuke glared at Naruto, shaking. Naruto just gave Sasuke a bored look, before looking away again. "You saw his hands, right?" Sasuke's eyes widened in surprise. Well, at least he's not glaring anymore. "That fuzzy eyebrow guy must have trained a lot, every day... Trained more than you." Everything was silent as Naruto's words registered. "That's all there is to it, ya know."

There was another, longer moment of silence...

Sasuke then smirked, gaining all of our confused attention. "This is getting interesting... The Chuunin Exam, that is."

"Yeah!" Naruto exclaimed.

"Yes." Sakura nodded.

I couldn't help myself from smiling, and Naruto saw it immediately. "Why are you smiling, Jalen?"

I smirked. "Nothin'... Anyway, we need to go! Come on!" I exclaimed, starting to run towards... Uh... "Um..." I turned around, sheepishly rubbing the back of my head. "I don't know where we need to go." Naruto grinned, Sakura giggled, and Sasuke just smirked. "Hey, don't get satisfaction out of my misery!"

"Hn." Sasuke walked up, passing me. "Let's go, Sakura, Naruto, Jalen." Hey... Sasuke's smiling! He's actually smiling!

"Yeah!" Naruto, Sakura, and I cheered, following him.

_**Ugh... I HATED writing this chapter. I really want to get to the Forest of Death as much as you guys. Oh yeah... A little hint... Their will be a few... Surprises... Mainly... Gah! I can't tell you guys or you'll instantly know! So... Review? I'm so awkward... **_


	22. Chapter 22

**Naruto: The New Story **

Chapter 22: Defeat The Rivals! All **Ten** Rookies Have Arrived!

We are finally here. After who knows how long being in this world... We finally made it to the most exciting arc. Even though I have mixed feelings about this arc, considering everything that happens in it and all the people that will die, I'm still very excited.

All we - Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke, and I - have to do is walk through that door in front of us... And the arc truly starts!

Although, we have to have this little chat with Kakashi-sensei...

"I see, so Sakura came as well." Kakashi-sensei mused. We all gave him confused looks, so he continued to talk. "You can now officially register for the Chuunin Exams."

"What do you mean?" Sakura asked.

"To tell you the truth, this exam can only be taken in teams of three." Kakashi-sensei explained. Wait... But, I'm here... So...

"But you said that we can decide if we want to take it or not." Sakura accused. "And this is a team of _four_, Sensei. What does that mean?" Oh, God... What _does_ that mean?!

"There has been an exception for you four, luckily, and since you four are rookies... Well, you understand where I'm going with this. They don't see you four as much of a threat, so they allowed you guys to take it as you are." Kakashi-sensei explained. I sighed in relief. "And back on track... Yes, I did say you could decide if you want to take it or not."

"You lied?" Sakura gasped. Well, Kakashi-sensei lies to us all the time... So...

"Yes." Kakashi-sensei looked away. You _should_ be ashamed, Sensei! "If I didn't, I'm sure Sasuke, Naruto, and Jalen would have forced you to take it." Naruto nodded. Wow, so he admits that he would force Sakura to take it! "Even if you didn't want to take the exam, if Sasuke asked you, you would try to take the exam anyway." He narrowed his eyes. "For Sasuke... And Naruto and Jalen."

"So what would have happened if only Sasuke, Naruto, and Jalen came here?" Sakura asked.

"I would have prohibited them from taking the exam and not allowed them through these doors." But, you just said this is originally a three man test! Whatever, I don't care. "But, the three of you came here on your own free will. Sakura..." Sakura smiled. "Naruto..." Naruto smirked. "Jalen..." I grinned. "Sasuke..." Sasuke smirked. Kakashi-sensei smiled. "Well done. I'm proud of the four of you. You're my team." He walked over to the side, allowing us to pass. "Now, go."

"Alright, let's go, ya know!" Naruto exclaimed as we all walked towards the door.

Finally... After so long of waiting... We can finally start! We can finally... Finally progress the story! I can finally test what I've learned throughout the... Very long time I've been here! Finally!

Sakura and Sasuke opened the double doors, and a bright light came out of the room, blinding me. It didn't matter, though, because I still walked in... The light enveloping me whole. I had my eyes closed when we walked in... But, now that we're inside... And the doors are closed behind us... I opened my eyes and looked around.

The floor was a throw up green, and it was chipped in places here and there. It must be very old. Anyway, enough talking about floors... The people! There was like, 200 people sitting down, all scary looking, all staring at us. Or glaring... They are **really** scary!

"W-wow..." Naruto muttered.

Sasuke just narrowed his eyes.

"W-what is this..?" Sakura gulped.

"S-Scary..." I mumbled, unconsciously backing up.

Why are they staring at us?! Just because we're a four man team doesn't mean anything! They don't have to glare at us like we killed their mom! They probably killed their own moms! God, this is too scary! I'm leaving! I'm definitely leaving! I'm going to turn around and not look ba-

"Sasuke, you're late!" That's Ino's voice.

Hehe... It's not like anything's going to happen... Why should I leave just because a few people are glaring at me. Now that I'm looking at them... It's not 200 people, maybe just 100...

Ino jumped on Sasuke, hugging him from behind. "I've been eagerly waiting for you ever since I heard I could see you for the first time in a long time~." Sasuke gave Ino an annoyed look, and Sakura growled.

"Get away from Sasuke! You Ino-Pig!" Sakura screamed.

"Oh my, it's you, Sakura. Your forehead is wide and you're still ugly... As usual." Ino smirked.

"Ino: 100 Points. Sakura: -100 Points." I announced in monotone.

"Shut up, Jalen! Damn it!" Sakura did a roundhouse kick and kicked me in the stomach, knocking me on the ground.

"Gah! That hurt, Sakura!" I yelled, holding my stomach as I got up. "And you're so loud! Why don't you quiet your voice, you wide fore-" Sakura's evil aura grew, so I decided to stop talking.

Ino didn't care about Sakura's evil aura, and stuck her tongue out, picking at Sakura. So hot... Sakura just clenched her fist, growling.

"What, are you four going to take this troublesome exam, too?" Shikamaru asked, walking up with Chouji right beside him, eating his chips.

"Hey, it's the idiot trio." Naruto, don't insult Ino, you idiot! Idiot, idiot, idiot!

"Stop calling us that." Shikamaru demanded, raising his voice a little. "How annoying." Nara Shikamaru... He always complains and is lazy about everything. A complaining idiot. I'm using Naruto's description...

"Munch... Munch... Munch... Munch..." Chouji just ignored Naruto's rude comment, happily eating. Akimichi Chouji... He's always eating something. He's a fat idiot that can only eat... I'm using Naruto's description...

"Sasuke is mine." Ino stuck her tongue out again, enraging Sakura. Yamanaka Ino... She's always fighting with Sakura. Sakura's rival... And a beauty! Her amazing blue eyes... Long blond hair... Amazing bo-

Uh... What?

"Yeah! Found you all!" Kiba exclaimed, walking towards us with Shino and Hinata right beside him. "So I see that everyone is here." Akamaru was lazily lying on his head... Inuzuka Kiba and Akamaru... Kiba is super annoying! He always carries that dog with him, and he always acts like the boss! Even though he's not. He's just a nuisance, really.

Hinata was staring at Naruto, as usual, and Naruto caught her this time. When he looked up at her, she quickly turned away, blushing. Hyuuga Hinata... The quiet, shy girl that's desperately in love with Naruto. I would try and set them up, but I doubt Naruto likes her. Maybe I should ask him... Well, until then, I'll just keep trying to set him up with Sakura.

Shino was just staring at all of us intently. Aburame Shino... He's... Uh... Weird. And quiet... But he can talk when he wants to! He's into bugs... And... Yeah. Shino wasn't really the type of character I cared about back in the real world.

"What? So you three made it, too? Geez..." Shikamaru sighed.

"Aw, lighten up, Shikamaru! I'm sure it'll be more fun with Shino and Hinata here!" I smiled, pointing at them.

Kiba glared at me, clenching his fist as he pulled up his sleeves. Akamaru barked. "Hey... I expect you to not piss me off today. It's a wonder why you're even here... It's obvious you won't make Chuunin."

I gasped as I saw Kiba. "Ah! Kiba! You made it, too? Phew, you scared me... Just popping out of nowhere..." I glared as he glared back at me. "Instead of eating dog food, you should probably speak up more. People will mistake you for a dog if you don't."

"Why you..! Annoying, stupid, lame, red-head!" Kiba barked... Like the dog he is.

"Anyway!" I turned around, ignoring Kiba. "So... All nine Genin rookies this year are going to take the exams." I mused, trying to keep the story going along.

"Ten, including you." Sakura added.

I shrugged. "I guess, but I didn't graduate from the academy. I don't really know what to classify myself as."

"You're still a rookie Genin, so it's the ten Genin rookies." Ino smiled, still right behind Sasuke. She wasn't hugging him anymore, but still...

"Okay!" I smiled, completely agreeing with whatever Ino has to say. Am I classified as a fan boy?

"Heh, how far do you think we can get, Sasuke?" Kiba asked.

Ino glared at Kiba as Sasuke just smirked. "You seem to be confident, Kiba." Yeah! There's no way _you_ will become Chuunin! I know that for a fact, ya see.

"We trained like Hell. We won't lose to you." Kiba exclaimed, Shino just standing behind him while Hinata smiled.

"Shut up, ya know." Naruto glared. "Putting Sasuke aside..." He pointed at Kiba. "I won't lose to you!"

"I'm sorry, Naruto..." Hinata apologized, playing with her finger. "Kiba didn't mean it that way..."

"It's okay, Hinata!" I smirked, crossing my arms. "Don't apologize for Kiba's shortcomings."

Kiba just stared at me while Akamaru barked... Why is he staring at me? So... Weird...

Suddenly, Chouji started to walk up to Kiba. Before he got to him, though, Shino stood in his way.

"What?" Chouji asked Shino, looking... Annoyed? Shino looked down to the ground, so Chouji followed his gaze, narrowing his eyes as he saw the small bug run across the floor. I shuddered... Why is there a bug in here?!

"Don't step on it." Shino said in his monotone voice.

"Huh?" Chouji looked at Shino like he was acting crazy. Well, considering him... I guess he's not acting _that_ crazy.

"I said, don't step on it." Shino repeated, a little annoyance in his voice.

"You're going to eat that?" Chouji asked. Wait... Eat a bug?!

...

Chouji... You're fat. Fat. FAT! What kind person, with chips in their hands, ask someone if they're going to eat a BUG?! I really want to say something, but I won't. I'll just act like I didn't hear or see anything...

"Hey, you guys."

We all turn to see... A boy - obviously older than us - with silver, whitish hair walking towards us... Kabuto. Yep, this is another moment when you want to say something, but you can't. Cause if I do, I'll either be killed, or I'll change the story line tremendously. I don't want **any** of that happening!

"You should quiet down a bit." He told us. He stopped walking and gave us all a look. We all gave him different looks back. My look was blank. I always give a blank look when I'm trying to keep quiet. It helps, ya know. "So you're the ten rookies that just graduated from the academy, correct?" We didn't answer, just stared at him. I wonder if all of us combined can beat him... Hm? "You're all fooling around with those cute faces... Geez, this isn't a field trip."

"Who are you to tell us that?!" Ino yelled at the newcomer, anger present on her face.

"I am Yakushi Kabuto." He smiled. Uh... I don't think she meant literally. "Look around you..." As he told us, we all turned around, looking at the evil people glaring at us. Well, some of them aren't evil. But they're all either scowling or glaring at us... I'm uncomfortable again...

And now that I think about it, we're kind of surrounded. And why is everyone's attention on us?! Don't they have lives, or something?! Why are they mentally bullying me?!

"The ones right behind you are from the Hidden Village of Rain. They have a short temper." Kabuto informed. They look like they do. "Everyone is tense since it's right before the exam." So... If I get tense I just glare at the nearest Genin? Got it. "I warned you so that you won't get picked on." Kabuto smirked, looking down. "I guess it can't be helped though, since you are just rookies who don't know anything." And watch how all the people glaring at us be either dead or failed! "It makes me remember the old me." Hey... You're such a good liar. I _would_ be believing you right now if I didn't know how evil you are.

"Kabuto, was it?" Sakura started, frowning.

"Yeah?"

"Is this your second time, then?" Sakura asked. Oh, no... Sakura. Not at all...

"No." Kabuto answered. "This is my seventh time."

"Huh?" Shikamaru's eyes widened.

"This exam only takes place twice every year, and it's my first year." How can anyone say this while smiling?

"That means you know a lot about this exam, right?" Sakura asked.

"Yeah."

"Ah! So you must be an expert, Kabuto." Naruto... It's not a good thing that he's an expert at this. It's like... Being an expert at losing. Is that good?

"But, he hasn't passed it." Thanks for mouthing my thoughts, Shikamaru.

"Yeah, that's true." Kabuto laughed, sheepishly scratching the back of his head... You make me sick!

"Is the Chuunin Exam that difficult?" Shikamaru asked. "This is getting even more troublesome..."

"Maybe... I should give my cute underclassmen some information, then..." Aw! Thanks, Kabuto! I'm flattered!

...As if...

Kabuto reached in his weapon holsters and took out a pack of orange cards. "...With these recognition cards."

"Recognition cards?" Sakura asked. Ah, recognition cards. I'm going to **love** messing with Kabuto on this. It's obvious he hasn't gotten any into on me. I... I don't think he does.

"In simple terms, it's a card that has information burned into it using my Chakra." Kabuto bent down, placing the stack of cards on the ground. "I've collected information on these exams for the past four years. There's about 200 cards total." He flipped over a card... And it was blank. "It looks white, but..." He placed a finger on the card. "...To get the information from this card..." He started spinning the card with his finger... As weird as that sounds.

"What are you doing?" Sakura asked.

"It's made so that you can't view it without my Chakra." Kabuto explained. "Like this." He kept spinning the card with one hand while he made a tiger seal with the other. Suddenly, the card poofed in a small puff of smoke... And a map-like thing appeared on it.

"Wow!" Sakura exclaimed. "What information is this?" Sakura... Why are you asking him all these questions? Gah... Things will be so much simpler in Shippuden... Or will it? Uh-oh... I'm about to get off track. I need to pay attention a little bit at least.

"The exam's total number of examinees and countries participating." Kabuto explained. "It also has the number of participants from each village." He looked at us. "Let me ask, why do you think we do the Chuunin Exam together?" Oh! I know this!

...But, I'm not gonna say anything. Nothing at all... Well, not much around _him_.

"First, it's to deepen the friendly relationships with the other countries." Kabuto started again, realizing no one was going to say anything. "Next, it's to heighten the level of the Ninja. That is what they say." That is what they say?

"That is what they say?" Sasuke, are you reading my mind? Or do great minds think alike?

"Yes..." Kabuto smirked. "The real purpose is to confirm the level of the Ninja in each adjacent country to try and balance out the power."

"Power? Balance?" Naruto crossed his arm as he tilted his head in confusion.

"And why do they go through such a troublesome task?" Shikamaru asked, still frowning. Why does he frown so much? If he doesn't want to be here... Then... Don't. Ah, his mom probably made him... Or something like that.

Kabuto tapped the card, and it poofed in a puff of smoke. The mini-map thing was now gone, leaving a white card. "If they don't do that, the weak countries will be invaded and dominated by the strong ones. So they need to check and restrain each other's powers." He paused. "It's just my guess, though."

"Hmph." Shikamaru looked away. I guess he didn't know that.

"Are there any cards there that have detailed personal information?" Sasuke asked. Always the nosy one, huh?

"Yes." Kabuto gave a half smirk. "Is there someone that interests you?"

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "Yes."

Kabuto sighed, shuffling and organizing the cards. "The information on this exam's examinees are not perfect, but I've burned and saved them." He smirked. "They include the information on the ten of you, as well." That's not stalking at all!

"Really!" I gasped. "Wait a second before you get your info, Sasuke, but do you have any info on me?" I smirked, seeing Sasuke glare at me from the corner of my eyes.

"And your name?" Kabuto asked, his eyes hidden as his glasses flashed. Creep.

"Uzumaki Jalen..." I told him. Shouldn't he know our names if he has info on us? And WHY does he have info on me?! HOW does he have info on me?!

"..." Kabuto placed the cards on the ground again and swiped the top, Chakra in his hand. After about five seconds he smirked, holding up a card. "Found it."

"Let me see." I said nervously. I really hope it's nothing... Uh... Personal.

He placed the card on the ground, started spinning it with one hand, and held up a tiger seal with the other. After a few seconds, you could see... Pictures and words on the card.

"You are thirteen years old. Mission Experience, 7 D-Rank ones and 1 C-Rank mission. The squad leader is Kakashi. You don't really have any impressive qualities, but your Chakra control is very good. You're also a sensor, if my info is correct. You became a Genin, but you never went to the Academy... And you are in the first four man Genin team. This is your first time taking the exams... Your team is composed of Uzumaki Naruto, Haruno Sakura, and Uchiha Sasuke." He grinned, kinda creepily. "It has also been noted that you look cute when you sle-"

"DA HAIL!" I snatched the card from him and looked it over... "What... The... Hell..?!" And of course, Kiba laughed. I really want to strangle him. And Mr. Stalker...

"Hey, Jalen!" Sakura started to chide me, but I ignored her. My full attention is on this card... That... Just... Pisses me off!

"Can I get my card back?" Kabuto asked, a hint of annoyance in his voice.

"...Uh-huh..." I handed him the card, and... I'm probably crazy... But, I could've sworn he rubbed the back of my hand with one of his fingers...

...

Probably my imagination.

But, he's just giving me a creepy grin...

...

AHAHAHAHA! I'M CRAZY! I'M CRAZY! I'M JUST... OVERREACTING!

He probably rubbed the back of my hand by accident... And he's probably trying to keep himself from laughing right now, that's why it looks like he's staring at me perversely. I'm just being stupid...

"Can you show me who I want to see, now?" Sasuke asked, raising a brow.

"Oh, right." Kabuto shuffled his cards again, placing them on the floor. "Tell me whatever you know about the people who interest you. I'll look it up for you."

"Rock Lee from Konoha." Sasuke frowned.

"Oh, you know his name." Kabuto chuckled. "Then it won't take much time." He looked down, his eyes unable to be seen again as he swiped the cards. After a moment of silence, a card appeared in his hands. He looked up. "Here we go."

"Show me." Sasuke practically demanded. Gosh... So mean... And rude.

"Okay... Rock Lee." He spinned the card, and put up a tiger seal. After a moment, there were pictures and words on the card. "He's one year older than you..." Kabuto started to explain. "Mission Experience, 20 D-Rank ones and 11 C-Rank ones. The squad leader is Guy. His hand-to-hand combat skills has increased dramatically this past year, but his other skills are terrible. He got everyone's attention last year as a skilled rookie Genin, but he didn't take the Chuunin Exam. This is his first time taking it, like you. His team is composed of Tenten and Hyuuga Neji."

"...Huh? Hyuuga?" Naruto tilted his head. Uh... Naruto. You're probably hurting Hinata right now.

"...Uh..." I guess I'll have to, since Sasuke didn't meet Gaara for some unknown reason. Ah, that's right. He was mad. "I know I'm probably asking too much, but do you have information on Gaara from the Hidden Village of Sand."

Hey... Why is everyone freaking staring at us?! Can't they just, like, have a regular conversation and enjoy themselves?! God! I'm getting sick of them all staring at us!

"Of course." Kabuto smirked, doing the same thing that he did all of the other times and pulling out a card. "Found it." He did what he does all the other times when he's about to get information and the card showed info on... Unsurprisingly, Gaara. "Gaara of the Desert. Mission experience, 8 C-Rank ones and... This is amazing! He did a B-Rank mission as a Genin!" You're acting surprised with a straight face. Hn. "He is a foreign Ninja and it's his first time taking the exam, so I don't have anymore information on him. But..." He looked up, adjusting his glasses as he did so... I've always wanted to see someone do that! It's so cool when a person flashes their glasses... Gah! I forgot... He's evil... "It seems that he has returned from all his missions unharmed."

Shikamaru's eyes widened. "He did a B-Rank mission as a Genin, and was unharmed?"

Naruto's eyes widened as well. "Who is he..?"

Kabuto then placed another card on the floor and tapped on it. A map appeared on the card. "Konoha, Sand, Rain, Grass, Waterfall, and Sound." He looked over at the Genin that are staring at us... For some reason... "This year, many talented Genin from these hidden villages have come here to take the exam." He looked back at us. "The Hidden Village of Sound is a village of a small country that was just made recently, so I don't have much information on them." Why you gotta lie? You are practically Orochimaru's right hand man! You... Idiot! Kabuto smirked, picking up his cards from the floor. "Either way, all of them are powerful hidden villages."

"I-I'm starting to lose confidence..." Hinata looked down, her small voice could hardly be heard.

"It's too late to say that!" Ino yelled at the shy girl.

Aw... I kind of feel sad for little Hinata. But, I know she'll make it... I know we'll all make it... If I don't mess anything up. Well, I know _what_ I'm going to mess up. I'm going to purposely protect Naruto from Orochimaru. I know he'll seal the nine tails from helping Naruto, so I'm gonna avoid that. But, I'm going to inpurposely mess up the preliminary rounds. I'm pretty sure the battles aren't going to be the same as the Anime, because just me being here is going to mess it all up. I just hope the battles don't severely mess everything up... I really do.

Wait... Crap. While I was daydreaming, I'm missing everything they're saying! I need to pay attention!

Okay... Kabuto is smirking. And everyone looks super worried. I guess he told them something that made them scared. Naruto looks really scared, though. He's looking down and practically trembling.

I guess Sakura noticed, too, because she's about to talk to him. "Hey, Naruto." She started cheerfully, walking up closer to him. "You don't need to be that scared... Huh?"

"**YAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!**" Naruto vociferated, looking up and pointing threateningly to the crowd of people staring at us. "My name is Uzumaki Naruto! I'm not going to lose to any of you! **Got that?!**" Uh... Yeah... Good job, Naruto. Now... They're glaring at us harder...

"Hey, what's with him?!" Ino asked Sakura, flipping out. Sakura just stared at Naruto in a surprised and annoyed way. "What's the point of provoking everyone?!" Ino shouted in Sakura's ear. Yeah... Now she knows how I feel...

Sakura snapped, turning to look at Ino dead in the face. "DON'T ASK ME!"

"WHO ELSE AM I SUPPOSED TO ASK?!" Yeah! Tell her off, Ino!

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!" You heard her, ugly-wide-forehead girl!

Naruto yawned, putting his arms behind his head as he grinned. "That felt good, ya know."

There was a moment of silence as Naruto's words registered in everyone's brains. I suddenly feel a chill down my spine...

""I'm not going to lose to any of you?"" Kiba repeated, cupping his mouth as he did so. "You talk big."

"That idiot. He just made everyone here his enemy." Shikamaru sighed.

Sakura suddenly sprang to life, grabbing Naruto in a killer choke hold. "What are you saying?!"

"I just spoke the truth, ya know!" Naruto choked out, trying to get out of the hold. I felt another chill down my spine... Uh-oh...

Sakura suddenly realized everyone was glaring at them, so she put a dismissing hand up, nervously chuckling. "E-everyone, It was a joke. He's a severe idiot, so..." More chills down my spine... "There's no need to take what a hasty idiot and a guy who gets carried away easily say seriously. Please don't worry about it." She turned to the indifferent Naruto and started to scold. "Everyone glared at me because of you! I'm going to beat you silly! If only you knew how to keep your stupid mouth shut! Is it a disease?! Were you dropped on the head when you were a baby?!" I sense three people moving towards us... Finally time for the story to progress. "You need to learn to understand the atmosphere!"

"Okay..."

Suddenly, a random teenager (He has on a Sound forehead protector) jumped on a table towards us. Kabuto turned around in shock, and jumped back just in time to avoid the kunai being thrown at him. But then, this other weird looking guy (Who I guess is... Uh... Forgot his name. But, he's one of the Sound Genin) slid right in front of Kabuto, holding up a tiger seal with his left hand.

I noticed when he did that seal, Chakra went to his right arm...

Kabuto's eyes widened in shock as the Sound guy decided to punch Kabuto. Everyone gasped, but Kabuto managed to back up just in time for the attack to miss. Kabuto smirked, realizing he dodged the attack. Well, not quite. I sensed a bit of Chakra leave the arm that that guy punched at Kabuto with...

Everyone just stared at the scene with surprised faces, while Kabuto just stood still, still smirking. Suddenly, his glasses cracked.

Everyone was quiet as a few shards of glass fell out of Kabuto's glasses and onto the floor. I bet he's super embarrassed, huh.

"I see, so that's the kind of attack it was..." Kabuto mused, taking the broken glasses off of his face.

"What's going on?" Sasuke stepped up a bit, an exasperated expression on his face. "You definitely dodged it. Why did your glasses..?"

"It must have hit his nose..." Shikamaru shrugged, his hands in his pocket. "That's what happens for trying to look cool."

Suddenly, Kabuto's eyes widened as he started to tremble. He fell on his knees, and after a few seconds he began to... Eww...

"He threw up!" Naruto exclaimed. Thanks for shouting the obvious...

"Kabuto!" Sakura exclaimed.

Everyone stared with wide eyes as Kabuto continued to throw up. The three people that planned the attack stood in front of him, smirking. Wait... Three? One boy threw the kunai, while the other boy punched at Kabuto... Where did that girl come from?! She didn't even do anything, so she needs to stop trying to act cool!

"Hey, Kabuto!" Naruto and Sakura ran up to the bent over Kabuto. The three Sound Ninja in front of them still smirking.

"Are you OK?!" Sakura asked in a mother-like tune.

"Yeah, I'm OK." Kabuto answered, looking up. I bet his breath is stanking right now, seriously!

"Really..?" Naruto asked.

"You're not as good as I thought for a veteran who took the exam four years running." The ring leader said. How did I forget his name?! Gah...

Well, he has bandages all over his face except for his left eye... And it looks like a lot of fur on his back. And... On his right arm, it's like there's a gauntlet there.

"Write this on your card..." The guy beside the weird guy started. He's the one who threw the kunai. I think his name was... Zaku? "The three from the Hidden Village of Sound will definitely become Chuunin." Sakura and Naruto glared, while Kabuto squinted without his glasses.

"Hey... You three..." I know I shouldn't talk... But, these three piss me off. They all turned towards me, so I cleared my throat. "You three... Aren't going to become Chuunin. I know _exactly_ what's going to happen to you guys." I glared. "You three... Will **die**."

Zaku smirked, not believing my statement. "Oh, really? We're going to die?"

I yawned. I guess I'll sprinkle my magic on them. "I'm not really predicting, I know. And, for all the people here that wants to know the trick that that freak in the middle did... I guess I'll inform." I'm probably going to mess something up, but I don't want them all to think I'm some weakling. I'm making a name for myself, ya know! "When the punk threw the kunai at Kabuto, the freak ran up to punch him. Kabuto _did_ dodge the attack, but... Do you all see that gauntlet on the freak's arm?"

The freak tilted his head as everyone turned to look at the gauntlet. They then all back turned towards me. "Yeah, well... The freak sent Chakra to that gauntlet, that then sent sound out of the gauntlet, which is why Kabuto's glasses cracked. It also sent the sound inside of Kabuto's body... Which made him sick. It's simple really..." I shrugged, the freak narrowing his eyes at me.

"How..?" The freak asked. I shrugged in response.

"Why should I tell you? But, I _will_ say..." I smirked. "I know you teammates' abilities, too. Don't ask how, cause I won't tell you." I narrowed my eyes. "...And I wouldn't bug me about it, cause if I tell the whole room about it, you won't be so unknown anymore."

Everything was silent as the Sound rats glared at me, while I smirked back. It's pretty fun messing with people, knowing they can't mess with me back... For now.

More silence...

...

...

...

"Quiet down! You punks!" In the front of the class, a puff of smoke erupted. I guess Ibiki is finally here... Wait... I sense a lot more people than Ibiki...

When the smoke cleared, Ibiki was standing in front of all of us, his arms crossed. Behind him was about... Well, a lot of Ninja were behind him. Too much to even count!

Everyone gasped and stared wide eyed at them. I'm pretty sure Naruto is trying to count them all... But, he's probably too surprised from all that's going on.

"Sorry to keep you waiting..." Ibiki smirked. "I am the examiner of the 1st test of the Chuunin Selection Exam, Morino Ibiki."

_**I kind of liked this chapter... I know I liked it a lot more than last chapter. Anyway, I hope I'm not making Jalen too bold. You all wanted him to stop being... Well, a boy version of Sakura basically. So, I'm going to try and prevent that with all I can! Anyway, I'm going to tell you all the things Jalen wants to change, and all the things he knows he's going to change, but not on purpose. **_

_**Things He Want To Change **_

_**1. He's going to prevent Orochimaru from sealing the nine tails. Naruto's going to need that extra power.**_

_** 's also going to try and kill Orochimaru, if he gets the chance. No point in him being alive, really. **_

_**3. He's going to try everything in his power to kill the Sound Genin... Even though he knows that will mess up the preliminary rounds, but he's already going to mess it up anyway from just being there.**_

_**4. When he gets a lot lot lot stronger, he's going to try and kill Kabuto. Although, Kabuto scares him, so he might chicken out...**_

_**5. And he's going to try and find Karin... He just wants to see her at least once. **_

_**Things He Doesn't Want To Change, But Knows He Will**_

_**1. Preliminary Round Matches... **_

_**2. Most likely the final Exam Matches... **_

_**Well... I hope you all like this! And the next chapter is the start of the first exam! Hope you keep reading! And... Review please! **_

~Preview~

Heh... I'm sure these problems will be a piece of cake. They have to be for Naruto to pass. I... Actually forgot how they pass this exam... Since I haven't really seen the original Naruto in a while. But, it doesn't matter! I'm sure I'll know everything! I'm not an idiot!

...

O-oh? Th-these problems... Hehe...

...

I COULD PROBABLY CONCENTRATE, BUT SITTING NEXT TO A PERSON WHO WANTS TO KILL ME AND ALL THIS CHAKRA RUNNING THROUGH THE ROOM IS SO... ANNOYING!

Ugh... Fuck my life...


	23. Chapter 23

**Naruto: The New Story **

_**Hi, everyone! Well, I'm just getting this note in right away. I really want to change my writing style, well... Not change it... More so enhance it. I also want to add in some bigger words, and stop using the same words over and over again. So... Starting now... I'm also going to start describing things in full detail and stuff. I hope you all enjoy how I write from here on out...**_

_**Anyway, I'm going to try and make this chapter a little funny, because... Well... A regular test will be boring. So... Enjoy? **_

"You three from the Hidden Village of the Sound..." Ibiki pointed over to the three Sound rats, getting their attention away from me. "...Don't think you can do anything you want before the exam. Do you want us to fail you already?" He threatened, the tone of his voice making the threat all the more dangerous. Good thing it's not directed at me...

There was a pause as the whole room went silent. The only noise that could be heard was a few immature teens snickering... This silence is very unnerving...

"...I'm sorry." The nut in the middle apologized. I'm pretty sure if you tear off the bandages from his mouth, he'll be smirking, completely making that apology useless. The two rats beside him are still smirking, though! They really agitate me... "I was excited, since this is my first exam."

Ibiki smirked, now taking his attention away from the rats. "This is a good chance to say this... You are not allowed to fight each other during the exam unless given permission by the examiners." Ibiki announced, his face giving off a hard expression. "Even if the permission is given, you are not allowed to kill the other."

Hn. I'm sorry, but I'm making it my goal to kill Zaku and... The freak. I don't know if I'm going to kill the girl or not... Depends on what she does. I think her name is... Kin. Yeah, I might not kill her, but I'm definitely killing the other two. So, I'm going to have to break your little "rule."

Ibiki glared off into space, his eyes probably making a hole through the person he's looking at. "Pigs who go against me will fail immediately. Understood?"

Another moment of silence... Aren't these getting old? And this time, no one is laughing... So the silence is very unpleasant...

Zaku smirked, putting his hands in his pocket. "This exam seems so soft and easy." Big words coming from someone who's going to die during them.

The examiners behind Ibiki started to chuckle at Zaku's idiocy, but Ibiki didn't. He kept a straight and calm face as he started to announce more things. "We will now begin the first exam of the Chuunin Selection Exams. Turn in your applications, take one of these number tags, and sit where the number tells you to." Ibiki ordered, taking out a slip of paper with the number 1 written on it. "Then we will pass out the papers for the written exam."

"...Written..? Papers..?" Naruto's eyes were closed as all the information registered in his head. "Paper..?" The gears that were stuck in Naruto's head started to move, charging up his brain as all the information registered faster. After a few clicks, Naruto's eyes widened. "HYEK!" Hyek? Naruto fell on his knees, hyperventilating. "A PAPER TEST?!"

_**Chapter 23: I Fail Already?! The Extremely Difficult First Exam! **_

Ah, tests. When I left my real world, I was hoping I left the tests as well. Tests are... Mettlesome. I was never a test person in school. Ah... School... No! Back on topic here... Tests!

The test should be easy. It'll probably ask simple questions like... The seals for the Transformation Technique, or something easy like that. I'm not particularly worried about the material on this test... Just...

I just _had_ to get a seat next to the freak! He just keeps staring at me... I should've kept my mouth shut... I'm such an idiot! I'm a cretin! Gah...

And worst of all... Wait, no! That _is_ the worst thing! He just keeps staring at me... Like... Jeff The Killer! Look him up... I dare ya.

Anyway, Sakura, Sasuke, and Naruto aren't even by me! I'm all alone by myself, I can't even see them! Wait... I see Naruto... Yes! I can see Naruto! But, that won't help. This... Freak keeps on staring at me... Gah! I'm getting ready to tear my hair out, ya know!

Anyway, there _is_ something good out of this! I'm sitting next to some red head girl with glasses...

One side of her head is spiky, like she forgot to comb it this morning. The other half is straight, a little longer in length than the other side. Both sides weren't the long, though. The spiky, unkempt side stopped at her shoulder, while the straight side went a little beyond her shoulder. Even though it's a weird hairstyle, it totally fits for her.

Who does that sound like to you? Karin, of course! Man... She's so cute..! She's way cuter than Ino, if that's possible, but she is! Well, Ino is more hot than cute... Gah... I can't help but stare...

"Is their s-something wrong with my face?" Karin asked me after a while. Her voice was as soft as the wind... Her red eyes stared into my gold ones, and her pale cheeks had a tint of red in them. "I-I'm sorry... That was rude of me..." S-She's so shy! She's like Hinata, just waaay cuter! I... I think I'm in love... Again...

"N-No need to apologize... I was just... Nothing..." I looked down at the sheet of paper in front of me, feeling my cheeks go hot. If only she was a Konoha Genin... If only she was a Konoha Genin...

"Hasu... Hasu... Hasu... Hasu..." The freak burned a hole in my head, his breathing sounding like something out of a horror movie. Gah... Why am I so unlucky? "...You..." ...Eh?!

"Huh?" I turned to look at him, my mouth trembling in nervousness. What the heck does he want?! Is he going to riddle me with questions?! And if I don't answer them he'll kill me?! "Is there something y-you want?" Damn! I stuttered! Now he knows I'm afraid of him... I'm totally going to die...

"...I like your hair."

"Excuse me! Mr. Ibiki!" I stood up, my nervous voice echoed throughout the room, bouncing off the walls.

"What is it?"

"..." What do I say? I'm scared of the person beside me? He's creeping me out? All he did was compliment me... I shouldn't get so worked up... "...Nothing..."

"Then sit down!"

I sat down, looking at the paper in front of me in shame. I could feel all the eyes tearing into my back... It's so uncomfortable... And it's even more uneasy that the freak who likes my hair is still staring at me. It used to be from the corner of his eye, but his head is now turned my way... WHY?! WHEN THE HELL IS THIS TEST GOING TO FUCKING START, DAMN IT?!

Okay... I'm over exaggerating... This is probably his plan. He's planning on making me uncomfortable so I can fail the test. Well, HA, bitch! I'm definitely not going to fail! No matter what, uh-huh!

"Hey..." The Freak (That's his name now) groaned. God... What the fuck do you want?

"Yes?" I smiled ever so nicely, planning on putting him off. If he thinks I'm gonna fall for his little trick, he's got another thing coming!

"Where is your _penis_ at?"

...

...

...

"MR. IBIKI!" I screeched in terror, standing up out of my seat again. "He... He... He, he, he, he, he..!" I pointed at THE FUCKING FREAK. He had a confused look on the part of his face I could see.

Wait... Maybe... I misheard him. Penis... Penis... Pen... Pencil... Pencil...

...

"What is it?!" Ibiki asked in an exasperated tone. His eyes were narrowed and his fist were clutched. I could hear Genin all around snickering and staring at me again... So... Uncomfortable...

I looked down, and to my surprise, I didn't have a pencil. I looked back up, nervously smiling. "Hahaha... Uh... It seems I don't have a pencil..." I nervously laughed out, sitting back down as I did so. "Can I get one?" I asked, fidgeting with my feet as I looked down.

"Is that all? I swear..." Ibiki motioned for an examiner to bring me a pencil. "Genin these days get excited over nothing."

I still heard the muffled laughter, and I still felt the eyes on me... But, I don't care anymore. A random examiner tossed me a pencil, and I sloppily caught it. This is so unfair... I'm pretty depressed now... Can this damn exam just, like, start already? Please?

Ibiki tapped the chalk board with a piece of chalk, gaining everyone's attention. "This First Exam has a few important rules." His voice boomed, his eyes sharp... He sounds and looks like a military officer... Or something like that. "I will not except any questions, so listen carefully."

Not except any questions? What kind of mean person is he?

"First rule is you are all given 10 points at the start." Ibiki explained, writing down words on the board. "The written exam consists of 10 questions, and each is worth one point. This test is a deduction based test. If you get one problem wrong, you will get one point deducted." That seems fair. "If you get three problems wrong, your points will deduce to 7." He finished writing, so I decided to read.

_**Points You Have - 10**_

_**Example 1. All problems correct - Your point total remains at 10.**_

_**Example 2. Three problems incorrect - Your point total has been reduced to 7.**_

Okay... That seems simple. You don't really need to repeat or ask questions for something like this. And hey... Why the Hell is the freak still staring at me?! Why don't you pay attention?!

"Second rule, the pass-fail decision will be determined by your team's total points."

Ah. That seems about right...

...

Sakura should get a 10... Sasuke should get a 10... Naruto... Maybe a 5... I'll obviously get a 10, uh-huh!

"Wait a minute!" I heard some girl scream. She sounded like Sakura. "Your team's total points? What?!"

"Shut up!" Ibiki boomed. Dang... No one likes Sakura, huh... "There is a reason for this. Just shut up and listen." Of course there's a reason, Sakura. Why don't you just listen, ya hick. "Now that you know, let's move on to the next rule. If an examiner determines that you cheated or do something similar during the test... Each action will cause you to lose two points."

Um... Why would you lose points if you get caught cheating? If you get caught cheating, shouldn't you, oh, I don't know... Fail? This test is whacked up...

"In other words, there will be people who will be forced to leave this place without their tests being graded. Those who try to cheat without thinking carefully will only be hurting themselves." Uh... What?! What?!

What I'm getting from this is we're supposed to cheat without getting caught...

...

Nah! I'm just being stupid... Again...

"We'll "check" you at anytime." Kotetsu (He gets around, doesn't he?) smirked, holding his clip board on his lap.

Everyone gasped... For some reason. Why would you gasp at that? I swear... I guess I'm just not understanding this test... These are too many rules for a 10 question test. And the rules are so... Confusing... It's so... Annoying...

AND THIS BASTARD KEEPS ON STARING AT ME! I'M REALLY ITCHING TO SLICE HIS NECK WITH MY KUNAI!

"You are all trying to become Chuunin." Ibiki pointed out the obvious. "If you are a Ninja, act like a first-rate one." What does that even mean? We're taking a test, aren't we?! Gah... I'm getting pissed off... "Also, if anyone in a team gets a zero, everyone on that team will fail."

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!" Sakura screamed again.

"SHUT UP 'FORE YOU MAKE US LOSE POINTS!" I screamed at her, totally stressed out. His words are really getting into my head... Even though I know just need to take the test. Naruto isn't dumb enough to get a zero, right? Right?! And... And what he said earlier... This isn't adding up...

...Whatever... Even though I feel Sakura cursing me right now... Even though this freak is staring at me right now... I know that I can pass this. This test is going to be the most simplest thing ever. Heh... I wonder if a question is... "What is your last name?" Haha... That'd be funny.

"The last problem will be given 45 minutes after the test begins. You have one hour for the exam." Ibiki explained. Well, okay... He'll give the last problem 45 minutes after the test begins... And then we have 15 minutes to finish that. This should be pretty simple, why do we need so much time?

After a few seconds of silence, the only noise being the clock, it became 3:30PM.

"**Begin!**"

I turned my test over, and with an awkward grin, I started the test.

**Name: **_**Uzumaki Jalen **_** Date: **_**July 1st**_

**1. Decipher This Message... **

**1234567890 #$%/?~`|•√Π÷×{}¥£¢€°^_=[]™®©¶\„… 1234567890 #$%/?~`|•√Π÷×{}¥£¢€°^_=[]™®©¶\„… 1234567890 #$%/?~`|•√Π÷×{}¥£¢€°^_=[]™®©¶\„… 1234567890 #$%/?~`|•√Π÷×{}¥£¢€°^_=[]™®©¶\„...**

**:-):-(;-):-P=-O:-*:OB-):-$:-!:-[O:-):-\:'(:-D**

**Answer: **_**Are you **__**shitting**__** kidding me? What the **__**Hell**__** heck even is this?! This better be a **__**FUCKING**__** freaking joke, okay? Because I'm pretty sure no one is going to even... Even... Even understand a **__**shit**__** piece of this! AND WHY THE **__**HELL**__** HECK DOES MY PENCIL NOT HAVE A **__**FUCKING**__** FREAKING ERASER?!**_

I swiped a piece of my hair out of my eyes, my hands shaking in frustration. God... That was probably just a trick question... Whatever...

From the corner of my eye, I saw Karin smile. "Yes! At least the first one is easy..." She whispered to herself.

What the fuck? Well... Whatever... I'm getting too antsy...

NEXT QUESTION!

**2. The parabola, B, represents a shuriken's maximum throwing distance of the enemy Ninja, A, from a height of 7 meters. Figure out the trait of the enemy Ninja that can be observed from the ellipse formed by the shuriken, and figure out the maximum throwing distance on flat ground. Explain your reasoning...**

**Answer: **_**Why are you doing this to me? Do I look like a math person? I know my hair is red, but... Seriously. I'm pretty sure no one... No one at all is going to get this right... Imagine Naruto! He's probably crying right now! **_

I looked over at Naruto, and as I suspected, he was trembling. Gah... We're gonna fail! I can't even get any of these problems right! Did me being here screw the test up?! Man... I'm gonna fail... I'm gonna fail...

"Hmph. Number 2 was simple." The freak whispered to himself. What the Hell?! Why?! How?! No!

I slammed my head on the desk in front of me, shaking in frustration, worry, and... Something else that's bad.

I'm gonna fail... Gonna fail... Gonna fail... I'M GONNA FAIL!

How... Why... This whole test is stupid! After looking through the entire test... They're just like question 2! Just... Harder! I don't even know how to do these..! I don't know how to do any of these questions! I'm gonna fail... And they'll be mad at me! I'll mess up the whole story all because I was dumb!

Why are they even doing a test like this?! Decipher a code?! Math problems?! Translate this is 25 different languages?! I'm... It's over... The only thing I can do now is... No, that's stupid. If I cheat, I'll lose two points. But... I'm gonna fail anyway... What will two points do? Nothing...

"These questions are so simple... I'm definitely getting a 10." Karin whispered to herself beside me, still writing on her test. I cursed and looked around me, making sure no examiners were looking at me. They were... They all were. It seemed like all of them just felt like staring at me, and that's what they were doing. Gah..! Not fair, not fair, not fair!

Huh? I put my head up, looking around in confusion. I... I felt... No, I feel Chakra being used all around me. Why? No one is fighting... But, I **know** I feel Chakra being used all around me.

And... Why is there a bug flying around my sheet? I swat it away, but after I did I suddenly felt eyes staring right into me. M-Maybe... Maybe I should just let the bug have it's way. My back feels cold...

And now... Sand... Is dripping onto my paper. What the heck?! I looked up, and saw an eye floating above me, staring me down. I instantly looked back down onto my sheet, trembling in fear.

"What the... What the fuck?!" I whispered to myself. I know Karin and the freak... DOSU! HIS NAME IS DOSU! I REMEMBER NOW! YES!

Anyway... I know Karin and Dosu heard me, but I really don't care. I'm very irritated, scared, and confused. Now that I think about it, that eye thing looks like Gaara's technique. Is he cheating? It seems like he was looking at my paper with that technique... And that bug... Was it Shino's bug? That's probably why I felt cold eyes staring at me... Is Shino using his bugs to cheat as well? But... Why? If they get caught, they'll take two points off...

Wait, but... That's confusing. Why would they take off two points for cheating during the Chuunin Exams? Shouldn't they, oh, I don't know... Fail you? That doesn't make any sense at all... And that speech Ibiki made before the test started... It was like he was trying to tempt us to cheat.

But, that can't be the case, right? Looking around, I clearly see people looking at their tests in shock, bewilderment, and worry. They don't seem to be cheating... Maybe I should look around a bit more...

Okay... Kiba's dog was barking... Damn... I can't really see anyone else I know except Naruto, but he's just trembling... But, a lot of people are acting shady... And I still feel a bit of Chakra being used across the room... Maybe... Maybe I should..?

_"In other words, there will be people who will be forced to leave this place without their tests being graded. Those who try to __**cheat without thinking carefully will only be hurting themselves.**__" _

_"You are all trying to become Chuunin. __**If you are a Ninja, act like a first-rate one.**__"_

Okay... So basically, he just told us to cheat... But, we need to think carefully. And... Doing that we would be acting like a first-rate Ninja... So, we are supposed to cheat? That's what I'm getting...

Dosu... He's writing down answers... But, he's not even looking at his test. He's looking ahead at the person in front of him. The person in front of him... That guy has quite a bit of Chakra. Maybe that's just how it is, but it's a lot more Chakra than the kids I have met. Well, he's probably a veteran, I guess...

Hey..! Dosu has one of his answers exposed! I can actually read it without looking like I'm cheating! Let's see what it says...

**Answer: **_**Try and cheat off of me and I'll blow your eardrums up. **_

I dropped my pencil and gaped, my eyes widening. "Y-Y-You..." I couldn't get my words out, especially when he turned his head to glare at me, his eyes seeping with annoyance.

"...Try it again... And you know what will happen..." He threatened, his voice laced in venom.

I "eeked!" and turned to look at Karin, who was adjusting her glasses. "..." Maybe I can see her answers... Oh! I can! I can see her answer to number one! Let's see...

**Answer:**_**If you try and cheat off of my paper, I will kick you straight in the genitals. I will make it so you will never have kids of any kind, and if you somehow do have kids they will have so many deformities it will look like they were hit by a fireball, drowned, sent back to life, and then viciously mauled by a bear. DON'T try me, because I'm DEAD serious. Okay? Bye nii~!**__** The answer to this problem is... These are all of the medical numbers and digits that tries to find a logical solution to Medical Ninja Techniques. **_

"A-A-Ah..." I couldn't get any words to form... Now I know how Hinata feels. Karin turned to look at me, flashing her glasses. When I could see her eyes again, she smirked, a threatening aura surrounding her.

...Even though I see her answer... I guess I won't steal it... Too... Risky...

Suddenly, from the corner of my eye, I saw that a kunai was thrown! I turned my head to where it was thrown at, and I noticed other people did as well. What's going on?

Oh, wow. A kunai was thrown right behind Naruto onto some guy's paper. Both Naruto and the guy gasped in surprise.

"W-what is the meaning of this?" They guy asked, standing up out of his seat. Everyone was done working now, just staring at the scene, interested.

Kotetsu - the one who threw the kunai - smirked. "You screwed up five times." His eyes narrowed. "You fail."

"W-what..?" The teen looked thunderstruck, disquieted, and frightened at the same time.

"Teammates of his, get out of here!" Kotetsu ordered, pointing towards the door. "Right now." He demanded, his voice dangerously low.

His teammates stood up - their heads down - and started to walk away. The one that screwed up just stood their, frozen in confusion, his mouth wide opened. After another moment or so of just standing there, he slowly walked off. I could see Naruto a lot better, now... And now that I'm looking, Hinata was sitting right beside him.

There was a few minutes of silence, everyone too afraid to continue working. Izumo (He gets around a lot, too.) smirked - apparently liking the silence - and walked over to Kotetsu. He gave him a piece of paper, Kotetsu nodding in response, and walked away. Kotetsu took this chance to start reading off of the piece of paper, considering no one was talking.

"Number 23, fail."

I gasped. He... He was about to name people who's about to fail! Oh, God... Please don't call me..! I'm number 54, by the way.

"Number 43 and 27, fail."

"Nooooo!" One guy screamed, having to have to be dragged out.

"Hey, man!" Another guy slammed his hand on the table, making the deathly quiet room liven up. "Do you have any proof that I cheated five times?!" He asked, enraged by being said he failed. "Are you really able to watch over this many people?!" He asked, but as soon as the sentence left his mouth, he was pushed to the wall. "Gah!"

An examiner with bandages over both of his eyes was the one that pushed the Sand Genin, his elbow pushing into the Genin's chest, his face dangerously close to the other's. "Listen up. We were Chuunin that were chosen for this exam. Elites, so to say." The Sand Genin glared at the examiner, but you could see the elbow on his chest was giving him much pain. His voice deepened. "We won't miss a single thing you do. My strength is the proof."

He took his elbow off the Genin's chest, letting him fall to the ground. It's funny how two examiners sitting in chairs right beside the scene was just writing in their clip boards, acting as if nothing was happening beside them.

Okay... Enough staring at them. I _really_ need to do something! I can't cheat off Dosu because then my ears would bleed. And I can't cheat off Karin because then I won't have kids, and if I do they'd be so deformed an-

Wait... I'm not going to have kids in this world! As soon as I find a way, I'm getting outta here! But... Then... I'm sure Naruto would be crushed... And all the friends I made...

...

I can't think about that right now. I really need to get at least one question. I would cheat off of Karin, but I don't want to get kicked in the balls either... So no.

Ah! W-What the..? Why is everyone using Chakra?! Well, not everyone, but a lot of people were... Gah! This is horrible! I can't even concentrate now, especially with the death aura these two beside me are giving me! Dosu isn't even looking at his paper as he writes! He's just... He's just looking straight ahead at the boy in front of him?! Does he have a crush on that guy, or what?! Gosh! So creepy...

"Number 59, fail."

Oh, God! I couldn't keep the gasp from leaving my mouth, because that's close to 54! I really thought he was gonna say my name, and... Who knows what would've happened?!

"Number 33 and 9, fail."

"Number 41, fail."

"Number 35 and 62, fail."

"No wa- AUGH!" I guess that guy should've kept his mouth shut... That looked painful...

I looked up at the clock... It's 4:15. Isn't it amazing how fast time goes? Anyway, it's 4:15, meaning 40 minutes have passed... Which means that Ibiki will give the 10th question in 5 minutes. I'm going to have to bet everything on that 10th question, but I'm sure I can do it. If Naruto could have done it, then I can, too!

Uh... I hope...

_**Haha. Yeah, I thought making Jalen forget everything about this first exam would be... Interesting, ne? I mean, if he knew about the trick, then what's the fun in that? There would be nothing to write about. So, I hope I made you at least crack a smile reading this. And... Yeah... Bye nii~!**_

_**Next chapter will be a lot of talking, unfortunately... Oh yeah, and don't forget to look up Jeff the Killer if you didn't already! Arigatou~!**_

**Preview**

Yeah... So if I don't get the 10th question, I fail. And we will never be able to take the Chuunin Exams again. Hm... But, if I leave now... We can take it next time. None of us are going to make Chuunin anyway, so... What's the harm in leaving?

Ibiki's stone cold look is just... It's like I'm... I need to get up now... Before... Before I change everything..!


	24. Chapter 24

**Naruto: The New Story **

"Okay!" Ibiki boomed after about half of the class (Genin, to be precise) were gone. I could see a little bit more people that I knew, such as... Sasuke, Temari, Gaara, Ino, Shino, Sakura, Naruto, Hinata, and Kiba. I couldn't see the rest of the people I knew... Well, I know Kankuro went to the bathroom with this weird examiner. He was weird because I didn't sense any Chakra in him... Chakra was _connected_ to him, though. "I will now give the 10th problem!" Ibiki practically yelled, since there is still a lot of people in this classroom.

I have to get this problem right... Or die trying!

_**Chapter 24: An Off-The-Cuff Match! The Tenth Question That We Must Hold Out On. **_

"Hn. You've made it this far..." Dosu started, looking at me from the corner of his eye. I looked at him from the corner of my eye as well, crossing my arms.

"So?" I spat, already irritated with him. He's not going to say something to screw me over, because the test is still going on. I am definitely not failing this, because I can't even begin to count all the consequences. I'm a man on a mission, and no one is going to stop that!

"You don't have a single question answered..." He looked at my paper, staring at it. "Correctly." He corrected himself, looking back at me. I shrugged, desperately trying to make him not get under my skin.

"It doesn't concern you how many I have answered incorrectly." I hissed, turning my head to glare at him. "Butt out. Mr. Ibiki is talking!" I whispered/yelled, my voice raising at each word. I need to be quiet... This guy is just trying to get me in trouble, or something. It's pissin' me off, really.

"Yes, but before that, there's one thing that I must say." Ibiki continued from where he left off. "There will be one special rule for this last question." Ibiki glared at no one in particular, the room getting awfully cold. Uh-oh... Please don't tell me we can't blink when doing this last problem... Or I give up!

Someone suddenly opened the door and walked in the room, but I couldn't turn around. I couldn't dare turn around to look at the person, because I felt that if I did, my body would freeze. It... It's so cold... Like, if Ibiki glances my way... My heart would stop. Why is this happening..? I know that Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke passed this exam... Then... Why? Why am I getting so worried? It's like... I... Can't explain it...

"Heh. You're lucky." Ibiki smirked, motioning for whoever walked in to sit down. I think it's probably Kankuro, since he left earlier. The door closed, the sound seeming to give an uneasy feeling. "Your puppet show didn't have to go to waste." Yep, I'm positive he's talking about Kankuro now. I was thinking that the examiner that went with him was a puppet... Hm. "Oh well, sit down."

Kankuro walked to his seat, his slow steps increasing with each second. By the time he made it back to his seat, a minute seemed to pass.

"I will now explain." Ibiki stepped up a bit, leaning on one leg as he began to talk. "This is..." He paused, turning to glare at... Me! M-Me! "...A hopeless rule." A hopeless rule? What is that?

He turned away, and I exhaled the breath I didn't know I was holding. I swear... I swear he's getting pleasure out of my misery right now... He's making me feel so vulnerable...

"First, you are all going to choose if you wish to take this tenth problem or not."

What... We get to choose? That doesn't make any sense...

"Choose? So what happens if we don't take the tenth problem?" Temari asked, worry or impatience apparent on her face.

"If you choose not to take it, your points will be reduced to zero." Ibiki answered, smirking. "In other words, you will fail. Your other two teammates will fail along with you."

Those words alone put everyone in a mini uproar... They wouldn't dare be too loud, since we have seen first hand Ibiki is insane.

"What's the meaning of that?!"

"Of course we're going to choose to take it!"

"Teammates also failing is bull!"

"And here is the other rule." Ibiki began explaining again - his head down and his eyes closed - ignoring everyone's outbursts. "If you choose to take it and you get it wrong, you will..." He paused, adding a little suspense. Way too much suspense for me to handle, but I'm handling it... Somehow...

Moment of cold, suspenseful silence...

"**You will lose the privilege to take the Chuunin Exams forever!**" Ibiki exclaimed, opening his eyes and pulling his head up, looking straight at everyone with a look that said, "_I'm not joking._"

Th-This is insane! Insane, I tell ya! Is he a sadist?! I think so, because I'm pretty sure he's smirking at our surprised reactions! Dosu might look calm right now, but I can tell he's shooken up at least a little bit! And Karin, she's practically trembling! This is too much, so many thoughts going through my head right now..! But, the loudest thought right now is... "I messed up everything somehow! I'm going to fail... And mess everything up more!"

"What kind of dumb rule is that?!" Kiba's outburst brought me out of my thoughts, momentarily. He was standing up, pointing a finger at Ibiki. It reminded me of the evil monkey... "There should have been those who have taken the Chuunin Exams in the pass!" Kiba yelled. Akamaru barked twice to add emphasis.

Ibiki chuckled, then after a while it became an outright laugh! I... I think he's lost it...

"**You were unlucky.**" Ibiki said in a dark, cold tone. Yep... Unlucky... We're screwed. "This year, I am the rule. That is why I gave you the option of quitting." He added. His eyes are sharper than ever... If he looks at me I may spit up blood. "Those who are not confident can choose to not take it, and take the exam next year, or the year after that. Hehehehehe..." His chuckle is so creepy! But, wait! I need to think...

So... If we want to answer the tenth question, but we get it wrong, we can never become Chuunin. If we don't want to answer the tenth question, we fail and can do this next year... Okay... So many things wrong with this. I'm pretty sure Ibiki alone can't make you not take the exams ever again. Even if he can, there's such a thing as having a field promotion... So, is he just trying to scare us? And... If one of my teammates want to quit, we all fail. I doubt Naruto and Sasuke will quit... But... Sakura...

Heck! I'm even thinking about quitting right now! They'll all hate me if I get the wrong answer... And it's not like we're going to pass the exam anyway! Maybe... Maybe quitting is the most appropriate answer to this...

"...Let us begin." Ibiki, the sadistic examiner, announced. His voice was still threateningly low, and his eyes were still sharp. "Those who will not be taking this tenth question, raise you hand. After we confirm your numbers, we will have you leave."

No normal person can choose this! I can't quit, because that would be ruining everything that I've tried so hard to keep together! But... This is impossible! I'm sweating a truck right now.

...

I'm so dumb! What is wrong with me! I just need to try! There's nothing to lose... Except the fact that if I get it wrong I'll forever be a Genin and I'll ruin the plot! Unless we get field promoted, but that's unlikely! Very unlikely! And it'll still be messing up stuff! I can't choose under these circumstances! Imagine Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke, though! They're... Who knows what they're thinking right now?!

"I..." The boy sitting right beside Naruto stood up, raising his hand. Even I could see how much he's shaking. "I..." Don't do it! It's OK, just... Your a minor character anyway! "I quit! I won't take it!" The... Wait, that is **not** a boy... That's a man! Oh, my... And he sounds old, too. I feel sorry for the old man...

"Number 50, fail." Izumo didn't even look up from his clip board, like he didn't care at all. Well, I guess he doesn't... "Number 130 and 111, fail along with him."

"I'm sorry... Gennai, Inaho..." The old man, wait... He probably just looks and sounds old. I doubt he's old. I'll just call him a teen. Anyway, the teen sounded like he was on the verge of tears. I can only imagine what Naruto's thinking right now...

His teammates stood up - both of them looking young, by the way - and walked off.

"Me, too!" Another boy put up his hand.

"Me, too..." A lot more people put their hands up... Like, about 10 more people. And if all of those 10 had 2 teammates... That's 30 people who failed already! Oh, my...

All of those people's dreams of becoming Genin... They just failed, even though they didn't even know what the tenth question would even be! That... That gives me a new found strength to keep on going! I can't give up now, because I don't even know what the tenth question is! I won't give up! I won't give up! **I won't give up! **

"So, you aren't giving up?" Dosu asked me, to my utter annoyance.

"Shut up. Of course I'm not giving up. You should, though. It might just save your life." I mused. Then again... Orochimaru would kill them if they gave up. They don't even care about this exam... They're just here to "Kill Sasuke" or whatever. Hn.

Suddenly, from the corner of my eye... I saw someone else put their hand up. Heh... Who's the idiot that's gonna fail this time?

...

Naruto! It's Naruto! He... He put his hand up! No, Naruto! Don't do it! You can't do it! Hear my mental screams, Naruto!

He's just holding his hand up, not saying anything. Like... Like he's being forced to hold his hand up! He's even trembling... This must be a trick! Naruto would never quit! He can't quit! Cause... Cause if he does quit... I don't even want to know how much would change! I don't!

Ibiki is just staring at Naruto, waiting for him to say something. Naruto didn't say anything, though. He's just holding his hand up, looking down, while trembling.

Suddenly, Naruto brought his hand down... And slammed it on the table!

"Screw you! I'm not going to run away!" Naruto exclaimed, glaring at Ibiki. "I'll take this problem! Even if I become a Genin forever, I'm going to become a Hokage no matter what anyway, ya know!" Naruto stood up, slamming both his hands on the table. "I'm not scared!" He yelled, everyone - minus the examiners - staring at him in shock and disbelief. I grinned, mentally cheering Naruto on.

Ibiki just stared at Naruto, no sign of amusement nor shock on his face. Just that emotionless stare when his eyes just see through your soul. When Naruto figured Ibiki wouldn't react, he quickly sat back down, crossing his arms.

Naruto... Even though that was the most idiotic thing you could have done... Thank you... Because you've finally made me put quitting out the back door, ya-

"I will ask one more time." Ibiki started, his monotone drawl kicking me out of my thoughts. It was like he didn't even see or hear Naruto just then. "This is the choice that will impact your life. If you want to quit, now is the chance." It was like he was talking to Naruto alone... That's the vibe I got...

"I'm not going to take back my words." Naruto smirked. "That's my "Way of The Ninja!""

There was a moment of silence... Ibiki staring at Naruto... Naruto smirking at Ibiki... And everyone else smirking around them, a new found strength inside of them.

Ibiki turned his head to look at the other examiners, and they nodded at him. He turned back to us, his eyes not so cold anymore. "Nice determination." He complimented. "Then..." He paused, taking a moment to look at all of us. "For the first exam, everyone here..." Ibiki smiled. "Everyone here passes!"

There was a moment of silence, Ibiki's words registering in all of our brains... The clock ticking was the only noise that could be heard...

...

...

"Wait!" Sakura stood up, slamming her hands on the table. "What is the meaning of this?!" She demanded. "We already pass? What about the tenth question?!" Sakura... What the fuck is wrong with you? Do you just like hearing yourself talk, because it's obvious Naruto made him a little generous! Just go with the flow and don't question anything... That's how you don't become a straight man like Tenten.

Ibiki laughed, closing his eyes as he gave Sakura a big grin. There was a peaceful, non threatening aura coming from him, now. "There was no such thing to begin with. Or you can call the two-choice question the tenth question." He laughed some more, making me sweatdrop. I'm just not going to comment. I'll live longer... Mentally, that is.

"What?" Sakura tilted her head in confusion, but before she could speak someone else decided to yell.

"Hey!" Temari took the spot light. "So what were those previous nine problems?! It was all a waste!" She yelled. Speak the truth, sista'!

"No it's not." Ibiki monotoned, putting his hands in his pocket. "The nine problems accomplished their purpose. The purpose to test each individual's information gathering skills." Ibiki explained.

"Information gathering skills?" Temari tilted her head this time. I guess I failed at that...

"First, this test's purpose lies in the first rule... Your pass-fail decision is based on your three or four person team." Ibiki started. I'm glad he didn't forget about Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke, and I. "By giving that idea, we have given you an unprecedented amount of pressure to try and not be a nuisance to your team."

"Yes, yes, I was kinda sensing that, ya know, in this test." Naruto said as if he wasn't worried at all.

I shrugged. "I was actually more worried about my team than myself." I said. And that was the truth... I would rather fail than prevent Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura from going to the second round.

"But these test problems cannot be solved by you Genin." Ibiki started again. "So... Most of the problems here must have come to the conclusion... "I have to cheat to get points." In other words, this exam assumed that everyone was going to cheat. So we snuck in two Chuunin who knew the answers to be targets of cheating."

My eyes widened at this information. So... That's why I felt so much Chakra being used in the background. And... Is the guy in front of Dosu a Chuunin in disguise? Was Dosu looking off of his paper? That would make sense!

"Ahaha! It was so obvious! It would be weird not to notice it, ya know!" Naruto exclaimed, sinking back into his seat and putting his arms behind his head. He's such a liar... "Right, Hinata?" He looked over to her, startling the shy girl. Hinata didn't say anything... She just smiled shyly.

"But those who just cheated like a fool failed, of course." Ibiki said nonchalantly, undoing his forehead protector. I noticed his forehead protector went over his entire head... I wonder wh-EEEEEHHHHHH! "Information can have greater value than life at times, and in missions and battlefields. Information is contested with the lives of people!" He bent over, showing us his... Head...

There were burnt marks... Screw holes... And cut marks..! Just take a minute to imagine a man with little screw holes on his head... Cut marks just littering the whole thing... And it's burnt. Just take a minute to see how traumatic this is for me to look at it! Was he tortured or did he fucking fall down the stairs and scar himself?! This is... That's awful! Just put it back on! Put the forehead... No, HEAD protector back on! I'm gonna be sick..!

"The information that an enemy gets after being noticed by a third person will not necessarily be accurate." Ibiki said, putting his HEAD protector back on. "Remember this. Getting incorrect information can cause great damage to your teammates and village. So, we made you all gather information in the form of cheating. We kicked out those who were lacking in that field. That's what went on." Uh... Shouldn't I be kicked out, then?

"I have a question!" I stood up, raising my hand. "Was that first problem a trick, or what?" I asked.

Ibiki laughed. "What are you talking about? Of course that wasn't a trick! The answer was obvious!"

Everyone laughed as well, making me sit down in shame. Naruto turned and gave me a look that said, "I didn't know either, ya know!" This is... Embarrassing...

"...But, I still can't agree to that last question..." Temari said after everyone was done laughing at me.

"But this tenth question was the main question if this First Exam." Ibiki replied. I still don't understand much... But, I don't really care. As long as I pass I'm good, ya know! "Let me explain." Ibiki started after seeing everyone's confused faces. "This tenth question was a "Take or Not Take" choice. Needless to say, it was a painful two-choice problem." Ibiki explained, putting up two fingers. "Those who did not take it failed with their teams. If you chose to take it, and could not answer it... **Your right to take the exam would be taken away forever. **It was a very insincere problem."

Yeah... I still don't understand that. I doubt that you alone can make sure we never take the Chuunin Exams ever again. We don't always take it in Konoha, ya know.

"How about this two-choice problem..." Ibiki continued, slowly pacing in front of us. "Let's assume that you have become Chuunin. Your mission is to capture a secret document. The number of enemy Ninja, their abilities, and armaments are unknown. And their may be traps that the enemy Ninja have set up. Now, will you accept this mission or not?" He asked us.

I really don't know the answer to that. Maybe if I'm strong enough, but... That's a very risky mission. I just don't know...

"Just because your life and the lives of your teammates may be in danger, are you able to avoid dangerous missions?" Ibiki asked us. "The answer is... No. There are missions that carry heavy risks, but cannot be avoided. The ability to show your courage to your teammates when needed, and the ability to get through a bad situation... That is what we look for in a Chuunin, a squad leader." Ibiki continued. "Those who cannot bet their fate in a critical situation... Those who give up when given the chance because there is a next year, and let their minds sway over an uncertain future... Fools who only carry a light determination like that have no right to become a Chuunin. That is what I believe..."

This speech... This is so emotional... I now know how inspirational Ibiki can be..!

"I am saying that you here who have chosen to take it gave the right answer for the difficult tenth question. You can deal with the difficulties you will face." Ibiki complimented. "You have broken through the entrance. The First Exam of the Chuunin Selection ends now!" He then smiled. "I wish you luck."

"ALRIGHT! WISH US LUCK!" Naruto cheered, jumping up and fist pumping. "ALRIGHT! ALRIGHT! YEAH! YEAH!"

Everyone just stared at Naruto in shock, including me. But I then smiled, knowing this horrible test is over and that we can get to the best part. Or scariest part... Considering what part I'm talking about.

Wait a second... I sense someone coming at a high speed. And it seems they're coming through the wind-

CRASH!

Someone burst through the window, a dark robe covering their body. The person landed in front of the slightly confused Ibiki, but he/she didn't stop there. The person then threw two kunai - one to the left and one to the right - and did a spin, letting the robe fall off of her. The kunai stuck themselves to the ceiling - the ends of the robe attached to the kunai - making the robe enlarge. The purple haired lady stood proud, a giant smile on her face as she placed her hands on her hip.

"W-What the..!" Naruto gaped, wide eyed. I did the same, but I slowly smirked after a while. I remember this scene... Anko is finally here...

"**Everybody, there's no time to be happy!**" Anko yelled. "**I am the Second Examiner, Mitarashi Anko!**" She announced, doing a little pose.

Her robe that was now hung up had words on it, saying, "Second Examiner, Mitarashi Anko is here."

"**Let's go to the next exam!**" Anko practically screamed, fist pumping. "**Follow me!**"

There was a moment of silence... Anko fist pumping... And everyone staring at her in shock and confusion.

Ibiki stepped to the side, half of his face behind the robe. "Read the atmosphere." Is all he said, not so cheery anymore. Anko opened her eyes, an embarrassed look on her face. She was blushing as well... Is she drunk?

"79?" Anko counted all of us in confusion. She turned her head to look at Ibiki. "Ibiki, you let 26 teams pass?"

It's good to see her math skills are top notch. I could never come to that conclusion under that short amount of time... And I'm glad to see I was added to the counting. I can remember that it was 78 people who passed the first exam, but with me here, it's changed to 79... Just a quick, little analysis.

"The First Exam must have been too soft." Anko stated, a little too bluntly. Oh, believe me, Anko. It wasn't.

"It looks like there are a lot of excellent students this time." Ibiki monotoned, not paying Anko's insult any mind.

"Hmph." Anko turned away, smirking at us. "Oh, well. I'm going to make... **more than half of the teams fail in the next exam.**" She sighed, her voice threateningly low.

That was... Creepy. Why do all of the examiners do this? They make such scary threats, and in the end they are all good and stuff.. Ah... Oh, well... I don't really care. I **know** I'm going to pass her exam... Because I remember a lot about it.

"Ah..." Anko practically moaned... Pretty seductively... "I'm getting excited." She muttered. She then gave us a hard look. "I will explain the details tomorrow! We will go somewhere else, so ask your Jounin Teachers about the rally point and time. That is all. Dismissed!" She yelled.

"Finally!" I sighed in relief, getting out of my seat. I slid past Dosu, giving him a threatening look before walking over to Naruto. "We passed! We really passed!" I cheered as Sakura and Sasuke walked over to us.

"Naruto..." Hinata started, looking down. Naruto gave her a confused look, but then smiled.

"Good job for passing, Hinata! And thanks for... Well, you know..." He trailed off, a creepy grin on his face. I laughed, noticing Hinata's flushed appearance.

"Excuse me!" Hinata exclaimed, bowing politely to all of us and running off. I hope Kiba and Shino congratulate her... I'm beginning to think they mis-treat the shy girl... I hope not.

"Hn. This test was simple." Sasuke crossed his arms. Yeah... I doubt that this was easy for you... No matter how much of an Uchiha you are.

"Of course, Sasuke! I'm sure you got all the answers right!" Sasuke exclaimed, giving Naruto and I a look that practically said, "I'm surprised you two made it." What kind of teammate is that?!

"Haha!" Naruto laughed, crossing his arms as well. "If the First Exam was this easy, imagine how simple the others will be, ya know! Hah! Haha!"

"Naruto..." Sakura started, an annoyed look on her face. "I could see you shaking a mile away. You're not very good at lying, are you?"

"Ack!" Naruto gasped, her words cutting into his heart, but got his self back together in an instant. "Anyway... Sakura... Why don't we go on a date since we passed?"

"No." Sakura declined, a bit too bluntly. "We need to rest for the Second Exam, you idiot! And we need to ask Kakashi-sensei where we are supposed to meet next."

"Which is why we've been talking here a bit too long. Come on." I said, starting to walk out the classroom. They all followed, Naruto walking sluggishly behind since he was just rejected. Man... This team has real problems.

Naruto likes Sakura. Sakura likes Sasuke. Sasuke hates everyone. I'm awesome.

This is too... Complicated for my tastes. It was pretty funny at first, but now it's just a bother. We really need to talk about this whole "teamwork" thing after the exams... Or we at least need to hang out more as friends. We do sometimes, but if Sasuke doesn't want to, then Sakura doesn't want to, then it'd just leave Naruto and I. Heck, that even makes _me_ want to bail! Maybe I should speak to Kakashi-sensei about this... Speaking of Kakashi-sensei...

"You all passed. I'm very proud of you." Kakashi-sensei complimented, smiling.

We were outside of the Academy now... More so on the Academy Grounds. Many teams were meeting with their Sensei, but a lot were just walking into the city. In our case, we're in front of the Academy, talking with our Sensei.

"Of course we passed, Kakashi-sensei." I scoffed. "Did you think that sadist would beat us?"

"Yeah... Speaking of Ibiki, are any of you emotionally fine? Did he use the carrot and stick approach? Were you safe in there?" Kakashi-sensei asked. The questions didn't seem to stop... I never thought he would be so worried about us.

"Sensei..." I stopped him, mentally groaning. "I'm sure we are all emotionally fine... What is the carrot and stick approach? And... I can't say I was safe in there..." I answered all of his questions. "Sorry, I blanked out after that one." I giggled sheepishly.

"What do you mean you weren't safe?" Kakashi-sensei asked me. I shrugged.

"I just don't trust the three Sound Genin. I'm sure they have it out for me..." I answered nonchalantly. "Can you tell the Hokage to make sure the ANBU that are stalking me do their job, okay? If I get jumped, well, attacked... They should be there to protect me." I'm starting to feel a bit of their Chakra, now. I usually feel it when I'm about to go to sleep, and it kind of creeps me out. But hey, it means I'm getting better!

Kakashi-sensei just stared at me curiously - Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke are staring at me in a confused manner - before smiling. "Will do. Anyway, I can't really say this enough, but I am proud of you four."

"Do you expect a super Ninja like me to fail the First Test?!" Naruto asked, grinning.

"It _was_ mentally exhausting..." Sakura sighed.

"Hn." Was all Sasuke... Uh... Said.

Kakashi-sensei didn't reply. Instead, he took out three small scrolls. We all stared at them curiously.

"Inside this scroll has all the information I can give you about the Second Exam. I only have three, so Naruto and Jalen will share. Anyway, just read over that tonight, and meet up at that place tomorrow morning." Kakashi-sensei ordered, before giving us a lazy wave. "See you later..." He smiled. "...Hopefully." He added, before Body Flickering away. Gah... I forgot to tell him to teach me that...

"...I'm leaving." Sasuke mumbled after a while, walking away.

"Right." Sakura nodded, before walking home as well.

"...Okay, Naruto. Let's get home! We need to pack up a lot, alright?" I started walking home, Naruto instantly following me.

"Why should we pack up?" Naruto asked in confusion. Oh, yeah... Naruto and his team didn't pack up much for the exams. Well... It's best that I try and enhance our survival rate.

"Uh... We should pack up for anything, right? You need to be prepared to be a successful Ninja!" I said energetically, hoping I could fool the boy. I did, because he just nodded in agreement.

"Let's stop by Ichiraku Ramen, ya know!" Naruto exclaimed, grabbing me the by arm and pulling me towards the famous ramen shop.

"No!" I pulled back, causing Naruto to bump back into me. I didn't fall down, so it didn't matter. It did make me think about the time Naruto and I were stuck together... Worse time that I spent in this world...

"What are you doing?" Naruto demanded, letting go of me and giving me an angry look.

Uh... Well, I can't tell him I think the Sound Genin are going to try and attack me... But, what am I scared for? I don't sense any of them around... And I'm sure they won't try to attack me in an open space. Heh... I guess we can get something to eat. I _am_ pretty hungry...

"Hehe..." I chuckled sheepishly, scratching my cheek with my index finger. "Nothing... Let's just get something to eat." I smiled, walking towards the ramen shop/stand.

"..." Naruto gave me a confused stare, before grinning. "Okay! Hehehehe!"

...Such a little kid sometimes...

After we were done eating - Is it bad that Kin was eating there? - we headed home, the sun almost starting to set. Man... I'm **stuffed! **Naruto really had me eat a whole bunch! But, whatever. This might help me sleep better.. I think...

"Finally home." I sighed when Naruto opened the door. I notice he always has the keys to the house... What would happen if he loses them? That would be horrible. "Now, we need to pack up. Not a lot... Just... A little." I sighed. We can't go there all packed up! We would stick out like a sore thumb, and they would suspect that something is wrong! Gah...

"What should we pack?" Naruto asked me, sitting down on the bed. What did they bring last time? Uh... I know Naruto brought a rice cake...

"Bring a small snack." I answered, rummaging through the fridge. "Like... A rice cake?" I mused, finding two rice cakes in the refrigerator.

"Oh, yeah! I b ought that for us to eat one day, ya know!" Naruto exclaimed, running up to me. "Okay... We can bring that!"

"I'll seal them in my new scrolls, then." I noted, placing both cakes back in the refrigerator. "Anyway... Make sure you have all your Ninja tools ready. You never know what will happen." I told him. He nodded, putting random kunai and shuriken that were on the floor in his weapon holsters.

"Let's read what Kakashi-sensei wrote us, ya know!" Naruto said, grabbing the scroll from the bed. He opened it - For some reason you didn't have to roll it to open this scroll - and started reading it aloud. "The location that you will meet at tomorrow will be The Forest of Death. Go to the Training Field where we had our Survival Exercise at and you will see where the exam will be held. Be there by no later than 3:00PM."

"...Okay! Well, let's just take our showers and such and do a little hand-to-hand combat." I proposed. He nodded, grabbing his night clothes and running for the bathroom. "...Damn... I wanted to take a shower first..."

_**Okay! Next chapter is the start of the Second Exam! I hope you all liked this chapter! Read and Review! (More so review...) And I didn't get to proofread this chapter, so sorry for the mistakes! **_


	25. Chapter 25

**Naruto: The New Story **

_Rrrrriiiiiinnnnnnggggggg_

Ugh... Please don't tell me it's time to get up...

_Rrrrrrrriiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnggggggg_

"Ugh... I hate getting up in the morning..." I whined, trying to open my eyes, but wincing at the sun light. Ugh... Why do I feel something on top of me? Don't tell me Kisuke is back...

_Rrrrrrrriiiiiiiiinnnnnnnngggggg_

"Jalen... Turn the alarm off, ya know..." Naruto groaned, still sleepy.

...

"Huh?" I blinked. Naruto's groan was... Strange. The strange thing about it was... It wasn't from beside me. It was... On top of me. As strange as that sounded.

_**~A Third Person Is Now Going To Narrate Because Jalen Needs A Break Sometimes! He's Always Describing Things - Messing Up His Brain In The Process - And It's Actually Mentally Hard. Just... Put Up With This For A While...~**_

Naruto was on top of Jalen, their legs entwined together, and their groins dangerously close. Naruto's chest was on top of Jalen's, so their faces were also dangerously close. Jalen and Naruto's eyes widened as they realized the position they were in, both eyes darting down to the other's mouth. When they realized they weren't kissing, they both inwardly sighed in relief, but not before they swiftly got away from each other, glaring daggers.

"Na-ru-to..." Jalen sighed in anger this time, startling Naruto. Naruto quickly returned the anger, however, glaring harder at Jalen.

"What, ya know?" Naruto asked, displeasure seeping from his voice. _Why did this have to happen __**again**__?! I usually wake up before Jalen does and get off of him, but Jalen unluckily had to wake up too. Why did he set that alarm, ya know?! _Naruto thought to himself, even his inner mind sounding mad. _It's not like it's my fault. I don't know why I move in my sleep._ He mentally groaned.

"Why were you on top of me?" Jalen asked, trying to stay calm. He was losing the battle, though, his voice raising with each word.

"Uh, sleeping?" Naruto answered sarcastically, a little too much for Jalen's taste. "Seriously, what do you think, ya know?"

Jalen blinked, before scratching the back of his head sheepishly. Both boy's hair were messy, but the action was just making it messier. "Sorry, I forgot people move around in their sleep..." Jalen practically rolled his eyes, standing up from the floor. Naruto did the same, crossing his arms. "...Especially boys..." Jalen added to himself, stretching as he did so.

Naruto stretched, too, his eyes still on Jalen. "So... I deserve an apology, right?" Naruto asked, grinning his Cheshire grin.

"An apology?" Jalen raised his eyebrow, before turning away. "Shouldn't I deserve an apology? You woke up on top of _me_, you know..." Jalen looked at the time... It was 12:03AM.

"So what? I didn't know waking up on top of a person was a crime." Naruto said. "Anyway, you were about to accuse me of something." Naruto pressed, still grinning.

_He's really just going to try getting under my skin this morning, huh? _ Jalen thought with a groan. "Sorry." He bit out, not wanting to think about it anymore. _I forgot boys tend to move around a lot in their sleep. Well, as long as nothing more serious happens, I can put it in the back of my head. It's better to worry about it later than now._

"Why did you turn on that alarm?" Naruto asked suddenly, but then gasped, just now realizing the Second Exam was today. "The Second Exam! The Second Exam, ya know! We need to get ready, ya know!" Naruto started running around, waving his arms around.

"...Naruto." Jalen suppressed the need to face palm. The act was... _Beneath_ him. "The reason I put on an alarm was because of the Second Exam. We are supposed to get there by 3:00PM, so I put the alarm for 12:00AM, giving us more than enough time to get ready." Jalen spoke in a tone that you would speak to a little kid in. Naruto noticed, and shot Jalen a glare.

_What's his problem? _Naruto thought, before thinking about the Second Exam and grinning again. _Whatever... I'm sure it'll be gone when he takes his shower. _Naruto thought happily, practically skipping over to the kitchen to make some ramen.

Jalen finally found some suitable clothes and stomped to the bathroom, making a trail of unhappiness behind him. Naruto ignored it, thinking about better, happier things. Both had totally different moods this morning, obviously.

After Jalen was done in the bathroom and Naruto was done with breakfast, they switched roles; Naruto going into the bathroom while Jalen started making himself ramen.

"That was a refreshing shower~!" Jalen sighed in pleasure, a towel on his head. His bad mood was totally gone, the scowl on his face replaced with a Cheshire grin that could rival Naruto's! "I actually forgot what I was mad about... Ah, well~!" He chuckled, placing the ramen in the boiling hot water. "I'm just not a morning person~!"

After Jalen was done eating and Naruto was done showering, they both walked over to the big mirror, adjusting anything that seemed wrong about themselves.

"Okay! It's 1:00PM, meaning we have until 3:00PM to do whatever we want!" Jalen jumped on the bed, relaxing himself. He knew that he would have to be prepared to kill either today or tomorrow. The idea of having to really _kill_ someone didn't really sit well with the red head at first... But after convincing himself that it's self defense and it's for the better good, the idea wasn't so unappealing anymore. Especially after thinking about the saying... "Kill or Be Killed."

"What should we do?" Naruto asked. _It's like he's a completely different person after he takes a shower! _Naruto suddenly gulped. _I would hate to see him if he can't take a shower... Ya know..._

Unbeknownst to Naruto, and forgotten to Jalen, Jalen wouldn't be able to take a shower during the Second Exam. Hehe... Let's just see what happens when the boy realizes it... Hehe...

"Do you have everything prepared? Kunai? Shuriken? Everything?" Jalen asked. Naruto nodded at everything, but Jalen wasn't done. "Then that means... Hm..." He looked up, suddenly finding the ceiling interesting. "...We relax."

"Boring, ya know." Naruto practically pouted, sitting on the floor and crossing his arms. "Sitting here waiting is just a waste of my time, ya know. I want to do something fun, ya know. I want t-"

"Naruto!" Jalen practically cried, resisting the urge to plain out shout. He couldn't resist anymore... It just wasn't worth it, he thought. "Stop it, stop it, stop it! We need to be using this time to relax, Naruto! Just shut up and... Relax!"

"What crawled up your ass and died?!" Naruto yelled, standing up. _He took a shower, so what's up with him? I have a feeling he's not telling me something..._

Jalen blinked, before laughing. It started as a small chuckle, before it turned into a crazy laughing fest. Naruto blinked this time, confused.

"That was funny." Jalen wiped a tear from his right eye, avoiding Naruto's question. Naruto didn't notice, but he was still looking rather unhappy. "Anyway... I feel like going back to sleep." Jalen yawned, before snuggling up under the covers. "I hate sleeping in regular clothes, though..." He added, turning so he could look at Naruto.

"...Sleep..?" Naruto grinned again, slowly walking towards Jalen.

The other boy mentally groaned, before jumping out of the bed, kunai in hand. Naruto grinned wider, taking out his own kunai. This would be fun, ya know.

_**~About Two Hours Later~**_

_**~Jalen's P.O.V~**_

It was now 3:00PM. It's finally time for the Second Exam. Naruto and I made it to the training field in time and actually met up with Sakura and Sasuke. That in itself is an accomplishment considering all the people here, but it's not really that hard to find the last Uchiha and the only pink haired girl I know. It would be easier if we were in Anime form, but we aren't, so there's no need to even think about the Anime.

Anyway, Anko escorted everyone that made it in time to a place I didn't see the last time I was here. It was like a forest was located in the training field... The Forest of Death. There was a fence surrounding the whole forest, and plenty of locks that made sure no one got in. There was also a sign that said, "Forbidden Area." Well, it must not be so forbidden if 79 Genin were about to walk right in.

There were three examiners sitting in a booth right beside the main fence, and Anko was standing in front of all of us, a big grin on her face. I could sense some things already inside the forest... Probably animals.

"W-What is... This place..?" Naruto asked, not loud enough for anyone to really hear and give him an answer. I would answer him, but he'll know soon enough.

"This is where the Second Exam will take place. The 44th training area..." Anko's voice deepened. "Also known as... The Forest of Death."

A strong wind blew, as if it was waiting for Anko to say those words.

"The Forest... Of Death?"

**Come on, follow, we'll step on the gas. Don't look at me, I will never bargain **

**I'll run all through the night**

**There's no reason for me to complain. Unless, I'm done, but I have no balance **

**My days are all wasted **

**If you just open up, and you just get closer, you might just learn to love **

**And one day your feelings, your lover will return. Ah~! **

**Try to live long!**

**Try to squeeze life!**

**Even though my own legs, they always get wrapped up together, I will still run! **

**I will steal it! **

**I'll still take it! **

**If you're not with me, there's no motivation **

**So just go far away into the distance... **

A few seconds after the wind stopped blowing, Naruto started to walk away from us. He then started to run around, and I face palmed at the box with holes following him. Konohamaru, Moegi, and Udon... Running around like that, Naruto is making a big fool of himself! Gah..! Idiot! Damn brats!

Naruto suddenly stopped running and turned around, making the box abruptly stop.

"Hey, Konohamaru!" Naruto yelled, pointing at the box. "What are you doing here!"

There was a moment of silence, before the box started to talk. "I should have expected that from the man I look up to. Good job detecting me." Suddenly, the box started to glow, and it blew up in pink and yellow smoke. A lot of pink and yellow smoke. Three kids could be seen bending over on the ground, coughing.

"Hey, you used too much gunpowder." Konohamaru coughed out. They coughed some more, before looking up at all of us. Another moment of silence...

...

"**The one who possesses the sex appeal of an adult, and the female Ninja from the senior group, Moegi!**"

"**The one who loves dividing numbers, Udon.**"

"**This village's number one genius Ninja, Konohamaru!**"

"**The three of us make... THE KONOHAMARU CORPS!**"

"WHAT THE HELL?! YOU JUST DON'T RANDOMLY POP UP OUT OF NOWHERE AND DECIDE TO RANDOMLY INTRODUCE YOURSELVES... AGAIN!" I yelled, resisting the urge to bop them in the head.

"I'm about to take the Second Exam for the Chuunin Selection Exams." Naruto told them in that bored tone that he always gets when they show up. "I don't have time to play with you, ya know."

"We didn't come here to play!" Konohamaru yelled.

"Yeah! We came here on a story." Moegi insisted.

"A story?" Naruto asked.

"Yes, we were asked to do an exclusive story on the Chuunin Selection Exams for our school newspaper." Konohamaru explained.

"So we came to ask you some questions." Moegi said. "Please cooperate."

"But..." Naruto sighed, obviously not wanting to do it.

"Hey there! What are you doing?!" Anko asked us.

"Konohamaru wants to do an exclusive for his newspaper or something." Naruto answered.

"Oh!" Anko gasped, before sheepishly smiling and scratching the back of her head. "Yes... I forgot that Lord Hokage mentioned something like that." Anko... Just... Take a nap, k?

"You forgot..?" Yes, Naruto. This amazing Jounin forgot.

"Alright!" Anko yelled out loud, gaining the attention of all the other Genin. "We are going to have a ten minute break now. If you are asked any questions, just concede and cooperate quietly."

"What the..?" Naruto and I gave Anko a blank look.

"Naruto, I'm counting on you." Konohamaru said, taking out a pen and notebook.

Naruto gave them a confused look, before flashing a bright smile. "Fine. I'll tell you all the good things about me, ya know!" He exclaimed, giving them a thumbs up. Oh, God... Well, this may get my mind off of the inevitable action I'll have to do...

_Chapter 25: Must Watch! Report Before Entering The Forest Of Death! It's Konoha's School Newspaper!_

_~Third Person Point of View~_

**Chapter of Rin **

**Character Introduction **

"First, introduce yourself, please."

"Okay. My name is Uzumaki Naruto. I am a Ninja of the Hidden Village of Konoha. My hobby is to pull pranks. I love ramen, and I became a Genin just recently, but... I have a big dream. I want to become the Hokage. And I'm going to become greater than any of the past Hokages. Then make all the villagers recognize my existence. In Ninja Academy, they called me dropout, ya know... Moron, ya know... And other stuff, but... I was able to pass the graduation exam to become a member of Kakashi-sensei's 7th squad, and I do difficult missions every day. Sasuke, Jalen, and Sakura are in the 7th group, too, but I'm the only one who's active, so don't worry about them, ya know."

"Don't say that. Introduce them, too."

"Ugh... I know, I know... Like, this guy is Uchiha Sasuke, a conceited kid. He's a survivor of the famous Uchiha clan. But, he's really just a miserable guy, as you can see... And that's Uzumaki Jalen, my brother. I'm, like, his role model. We train everyday, and he got all of his skills from me, of course. When we first started training it was like he was a beginner, but he's considerably better now... Ah! This is the girl that's in love with me, Haruno Sakura. They say that hating is part of love, so she won't say her real feelings; but that part of her is cute as well. "

"Is that true?"

"Yes, yes, it's true, ya know. Hehehehe."

"Who did you say likes Naruto?! **Damn it!**"

"...While we do train a lot and you did help me a lot... You aren't my role model, Naruto... Sorry."

...

"So it was a lie. Sorry..."

...

"Anyway, we work in a team of four, and have accomplished dangerous missions like weed pulling, trash collecting, and walking dogs."

"Those are dangerous missions? It only looks like you're screwing up, Naruto."

"Well... There were times when I screwed up... Ahehehe... Oh! There was one time where I defeated old man Hokage with my Sexy Technique."

"I can't make an article out of that!"

"Eh... Then show me an example."

"Okay! My name is Konohamaru. I am the grandson of the village's head, the old man Hokage. Grandpa is the most important person in the Hidden Village of Konoha, And is the third Hokage. To hold the name of Hokage means to be the number one Ninja in the village. The fourth Hokage, in particular, is a hero who protected the village from a monster fox."

"Wait, wait, wait! You're only talking about other people!"

"I was planning on saying more **now**! Besides, you talk about yourself too much!"

"Of course! I'm the main character so I don't care about the others, ya know!"

"Naruto... I'm hurt."

"Sorry, Jalen."

...

"Naruto... You've forgotten about me ever since you graduated the Academy, right? But you can at least introduce me."

"Eeh... Okay, okay. This person is the first person in the village to recognize me, Iruka-sensei. He's a very good person, and treats me to ramen at Ichiraku all the time."

"I'm a good person just because I treat you to ramen?"

"No. Uh. Well. Eh. Ehehehe..."

"YOU'RE NOT FOOLING ANYONE!"

"Naruto, next."

"Oh, yes..."

_~Jalen's Point of View~_

Naruto was sitting with his back against a tree as he told Konohamaru, Moegi, and Udon those lies. I could hear most of it, and I was very displeased with a lot of it. Maybe I should get interviewed and tell them the hard-boiled **truth**. Eh, we'll see.

Anyway, Sakura, Sasuke, and I were just watching and listening from a distance. It surprised me when Iruka-sensei came in... And why didn't Naruto tell Konohamaru about the challenging things we did?! We sound like a joke!

"Okay, I guess I'll talk about when Sasuke screwed up badly..." Naruto told the 'interviewers'.

"We already heard that! Be more serious!" Konohamaru demanded, Moegi and Udon scribbling things down in their notebooks.

"That Naruto... He must be talking about things that didn't even happen..." Sakura groaned, giving Naruto a disapproving look. I nodded in agreement to her.

"Apparently, Sasuke is a horrible Ninja and very conceited. Naruto is my _role model_... And you're in love with him." I said to the girl. She growled, before stomping the ground in a huff.

"That's it! I'm running this show!" The pink haired girl exclaimed, stomping over to Naruto, Konohamaru, Moegi, and Udon.

_~Third Person Point of View~_

**Chapter of Hyou **

**Ninjutsu **

"Now, an upperclassman of mine, Haruno Sakura, will teach us about Ninjutsu."

"Hello. I am the beautiful female Ninja, Haruno Sakura."

"Beautiful..?"

"What? Do you have a problem with that?"

"No, I don't!"

...

"First, let's look at Naruto's Ninjutsu. The Sexy Technique. Where Naruto turns into a sexy, naked, blonde - with smoke covering her parts that we can't show on TV - to confuse his opponent."

"Should I be worried you picked that one first?"

"What are you implying, Jalen?"

"...Nothin'."

...

"The Shadow Replication Technique. Where Naruto makes dozens of copies of himself that are real. And the Harem Technique. Where Naruto and his clones use the Sexy Technique to confuse and immobilize the enemy greater. And... The Blackboard Eraser Drop."

"Stop tryin' ta be funny, Sakura."

"Go suck on one, Jalen! And what's with that accent?!"

...

"Next, the one who graduated the Academy with the number one grade, and the number one rookie, Sasuke. Sasuke was the must popular person in our class, and can fight with Kakashi-sensei evenly. Sasuke is amazing!"

"Sakura... Sasuke can not fight with Kakashi-sensei evenly. Kakashi-sensei would easily slaughter Sasuke. Sasuke is a **Genin**. Kakashi-sensei is a **Jounin**. Just because you love him doesn't make him any stronger. Remember Lee? Yeah, he beat Sasuke. Only because he's trained more than him, and _he's_ still a **Genin**. So, it's obvious he can not fight Kakashi-sensei evenly, because Kakashi-sensei is a **Jounin**, and Sasuke is a **Genin**, meaning what you just said states you really underestimate Kakashi-sensei. This is **reality**."

"Jalen, shut up! Why are you butting in on my part?! Go away!"

**Bop!**

"Ow, ow, ow... You didn't have to hit me... I'm just tellin' the truth..."

"Anyway, he uses many powerful techniques such as the Fire Element: Blazing Fireball, the Fuuma Shuriken, Shadow Windmill, and Sharingan, but... His most amazing move is... Those sharp eyes. If he stares at a girl with those eyes, any girl will fall for him."

"Sa-ku-ra... He stares at you like that because he thinks all you girls are annoying. And... Most of you are."

"B-But his cold attitude also makes him attractive, in a way..."

**Cry... **

"...You don't have to cry, Sakura..."

"Jalen! Shut up!"

...

"Next, the one who didn't even go to the Academy, Jalen."

"Ah. Finally."

"Ahem. Anyway, he's an excellent Sensor Ninja, meaning he can tell where you are miles away! Oh yeah, and he also looks so cute when he's sleeping! That's why I got him cat pajamas and slippers... Gah! His techniques are the Shadow Replication Technique, The Clone Technique, and the Transformation Technique. He also carries around scolls where you seal things in. As you can see, his only use is sensing and carrying large amounts of items..."

"...I have some new techniques up my sleeve, too. You'll see later..."

"Next, our teacher, Hatake Kakashi-sensei. He is also known as the copy Ninja Kakashi, and can see through an enemy's moves with his Sharingan. Rumor has it that he has copied more than 1000 techniques. But, he's always late for missions, and starts to read a strange book called Flirting Paradise when he gets bored. He also looks bored all the time... The number one mystery about him is his face, which is hidden under that mask. I wonder what kind of face he has. Also, why does he have a Sharingan in his left eye when it's a trait that only shows up in the Uchiha clan members? This person is very mysterious so we don't know a lot about him."

"Considering he's our Sensei... That's awful."

"For once, I agree with you, Jalen. Anyway, there are plenty more techniques from other Ninja, but there's so many of them that I don't have time to explain."

**Chapter of Tou **

**Rival **

"The one who looks like the future me, Sasuke, please take care of this part."

"Sure. I'm the one who has to do this. I already knew from the beginning."

"Stop trying to act cool, ya know. You conceited kid, Sasuke."

"Don't interfere. Stay out of the way, you idiot."

"Shut up! I don't like you getting all the attention, ya know!"

"Heh. But it seems that the enemies around us have no interest in you."

"What did you say?!"

"Look at this. Neji and Lee asked about and were interested in me. But you? No one even bothered to know your name."

"You're right, no one thinks of you as the main character, Leader!"

"You're wrong! They just don't have the eyes to notice, ya know."

"Heh. You can bluff pretty well."

"That's not true, ya know!"

"See? You _are _just bluffing."

"Not you, too, Sakura..."

"...I don't have anything to add to this. Jalen, out."

...

"The examinees who came here to take the Chuunin Selection Exams are all skilled. Nara Shikamaru. Akimichi Chouji. Yamanaka Ino. Hyuuga Hinata. Inuzuka Kiba and Akamaru. Aburame Shino. You can't win against them with your normal ways. You know better than that."

"Heh! Of course I do, ya know! Don't get careless and lose to a boring guy."

"Hmph. Of course not."

"Yes, we have passed the First Exam of the Chuunin Selection Exams, and are heading to where the Second Exam will take place. No matter what difficulty lies ahead of us, we will not get scared. And we will hopefully pass these whole exams and become Chuunin. Because we are... We have strong teamwork that ties us together."

"...Is anyone else confused? I know I am..."

_Jalen's Point of View _

"Thank you for cooperating with our questions." Moegi said, bowing.

"Thank you." Udon said, also bowing.

"Leader, do your best!" Konohamaru exclaimed, giving Naruto a thumbs up.

"I know! Just leave it to me!" Naruto exclaimed, giving them a thumbs up back. I sighed as I ran a hand through my hair. Man... That seemed to be a little more than 10 minutes... I'm pooped. Sakura and Sasuke are standing by me, giving mixed reactions to the three kids.

"Bye!"

"Bye!"

"Do it seriously!"

"Do your best!"

Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke, and I just stood there, watching them leave. A smile was on all of our faces, well, there was a smirk on Sasuke's face.

Even though I thoroughly disliked this interview, I guess it did get my mind off of the pressure on this exam! I'm going to give it my all, no matter what! And I will kill those Sound rats... Even if I die doing so! Believe it!

**Hey~ Can you hear my voice now? **

**Hey, the sky, it needs to be blue and clear so everyone will smile...**

**And the sea, it needs to be vast and never-ever-ever ending...**

**Yes, you need to always have a smile on you all the time, yeah...**

**Or else, I'll have to go home and cry.**

**You don't have to look around you anymore, because your look is ending...**

**All of your friends are all hiding inside your hands. Yes, everyone...**

**If you think you want to cry, or you think you want to run...**

**If you forget all the happiness that's found in this world...**

**Everyone sing~**

**The bright light was created, then the darkness created **

**Those two different things are one **

**Harmonia~**

**Telepathy~**

**Hey~ Can you hear my voice now? **

_**Yeah... I know you all probably hate me for actually adding this episode. But, it was a funny episode... And I think it got the stress out of what I should do for this exam... Anyway! Read and Review, like always! **_

_**Oh, and don't worry, you guys didn't get nothing from reading this chapter. I'm going to actually recommend a few Naruto stories to you guys. Just for those who get depressed after finishing my chapter, because they don't have anything else to read.**_

_**1. New Blood by JFalcon **_

_**2. Old Souls by JFalcon **_

_**3. Red Eyes by JFalcon **_

_**4. Introverted by Shadenight123 **_

_**5. The New Generation: Students by MaverickBuff **_

_**6. The New Generation: Shinobis by MaverickBuff**_

_**7. The New Generation: Elites by MaverickBuff**_

_**1. New Blood is really my favorite Naruto story known to man. With a whopping 170 chapters, amazing characters that you basically fall in love with, and best story line, you can't not love this story. It's basically... Well, go and read the summary. I can't explain the awesomeness that is this story. I can't! **_

_**2. Old Souls is the sequel to New Blood. In reality, when a story needs a sequel... You know it's good. Read New Blood... Now! And then after that read Old Souls! Uh-huh! **_

_**3. Red Eyes is the Prequel to New Blood. Hm... You could read this before New Blood, since it is the prequel and everything... And it shows you how much of a good writer this person is... But, I warn you, the main characters in this (Minus the regular characters like Naruto and such...) appear in New Blood either right before the Chuunin Exams or during the Chuunin Exams. So... Yeah. But, even with just 16 chapters, this story is awesome, too.**_

_**4. Introverted. Take some time to look up that word. You done? Good. That's how Naruto is in this story. He's not an overly obnoxious orange wearing kid, but what a shinobi should be. He's more... Kept to himself, and he doesn't yell out at all (Unless provoked). Anyway, this isn't a story where Naruto is, like, God or anything. To be honest, he's actually more weaker, and the villains are smarter. The team is Naruto, Sakura, and Sai. No! Don't run away! I was about to run away, because I don't particularly like Sai, but I'm glad I didn't. This story is the more realistic of Ninja... How the Ninja world really is, and how lucky the original Naruto was. Anyway, just read it. This long review of it is enough, right? **_

_**5. The New Generation: Students. It's not really the best, but it's good. Read the summary... I can't really review this story to it's fullest... But, just trust me and read it. (Not before New Blood, though!)**_

_**6. The New Generation: Shinobis is a sequel to 5. As I said earlier, if a story has a sequel, it must be good. I think. Well, read it anyway. **_

_**7 The New Generation: Elites is a... Uh, what do you call it..? I guess it is the third part of 5. Read it~**_

_**Anyway, I hope you all read those stories, and I hope you all liked this chapter. Oh, and if you can't find the story by typing in the name, type in the Author name. That helps. Anyway, be safe and stay alive! Bye nii~!**_


	26. Chapter 26

**Naruto: The New Story **

There was an unnerving silence as the Academy students left. Without their cheerfulness, us Genin didn't really know what to talk about. We were afraid of what Anko would do if we just suddenly started a conversation... So we kept silent. We kept silent and waited until Anko started to talk. Heck, I wouldn't be surprised if she was waiting for _us _to talk! I doubt it, though... With her creepy grin. So no one talked. The only sound that was heard were birds fluttering out and inside the forest. This... Was eerily uncomfortable.

**Come on, follow, we'll step on the gas. Don't look at me, I will never bargain **

**I'll run all through the night**

**There's no reason for me to complain. Unless, I'm done, but I have no balance **

**My days are all wasted **

**If you just open up, and you just get closer, you might just learn to love **

**And one day your feelings, your lover will return. Ah~! **

**Try to live long!**

**Try to squeeze life!**

**Even though my own legs, they always get wrapped up together, I will still run! **

**I will steal it! **

**I'll still take it! **

**If you're not with me, there's no motivation **

**So just go far away into the distance... **

_Chapter 26: Second Exam Starts! Everyone Around Us Is An Enemy! _

"This sure is a creepy place..." Sakura whispered. I nodded in agreement, feeling cold eyes staring at my back. I'll just ignore it... That seems like the best option.

Anko laughed, excitement flashing in her eyes. "You will be able to experience why this place is called the Forest of Death." Anko told us.

"_You will be able to experience why this place is called the Forest of Death_." Naruto mocked, putting his hands on his hip and shaking his butt. "There's no point in trying to scare us like that!" Naruto exclaimed, stopping his mocking action and smirking. "I'm not scared at all, ya know!"

"Naruto~" I snuck up behind him, itching to take out my kunai. "This isn't like the other exam... She's **serious**. Don't mock her, or your heart my skip _many_ beats."

"Wow~! Aren't you energetic?" Anko smiled sweetly, before a kunai whizzed past Naruto and I! It went so fast... I didn't even see her take it out and throw it at us! I suddenly felt a stinging on my cheek, and it didn't take long to realize I've been cut.

"Gah!" I swiftly stumbled away, being fast enough to sense that Anko was behind us. She smiled at me, but it was obvious she wasn't interested. She was interested in the blonde that just stood there, too shocked to move. I scoffed at that, putting a few fingers on my cut. It stung, but I've been through worst.

"Boys like you die the fastest." Anko was still smiling as she cupped Naruto's face from behind and turned his head to get a better view of the cut on his cheek. "After spilling out that red blood I love the most." She practically purred, taking a finger and touching his now bleeding cut.

I-It happened so fast! But in no less than a second, Anko had another kunai in her hand as she turned around. A-A person with a straw hat on that covered his/her face was right behind Anko. That wasn't really the strange part, though. I expect a Jounin to be able to move so fast, and even though I didn't expect some random person to suddenly be behind Anko, that still wasn't the strange part.

The strange part was the person had the _longest_ tongue in freaking history! It was weird, too, because the tip of the tongue looked like it was split in half! It was like a _snake's_ tongue! O-Orochimaru!

Naruto was wide eyed at seeing the tongue seeming to be giving back the kunai Anko thrown at us! Disgusting!

"Here's your knife." Orochimaru said, even though his tongue was hanging out of his mouth! How is that even possible?!

"Thank you." Anko smiled and thanked Orochimaru like it was the most normal thing in the world! I... I don't know what to do in a situation like this..!

There was a moment of silence, Naruto practically trembling, Anko smiling at Orochimaru threateningly, and Orochimaru inches away from Anko, giving as much of a smile as he could with his tongue out and a kunai wrapped in it.

"But, don't stand behind me like that." Anko broke the silence, smirking now. "That is, unless you want to die young." Anko said that last sentence a little bit threateningly grabbing the kunai from Orochimaru's tongue. That's... That's disgusting. I would never use that kunai, no, I would never put it in my holster. No, I would never even touch it.

Orochimaru slurped his tongue back in his mouth, the corners of his mouth tugged upwards. "Well, I get itchy when I see blood. Also, my precious hair was cut, so I got a little excited." I hear ya, sista'! Wait...

"I'm sorry." Anko apologized as Orochimaru walked away. She let go of Naruto, but Naruto was more worried about that guy with the long tongue. God... My first encounter with Orochimaru. His Chakra is... Eww! I think I'm gonna be sick...

"It looks like their are a lot of hot-headed people here today." Anko remarked. "This is going to be interesting..." She purred, again...

"Why did I get cut, _Super Examiner Anko_?" I asked, the words dripping with sarcasm. I was going to keep quiet about it, but this crap stings! I'm not like Naruto, so I don't heal fast!

"You were just there." Anko answered nonchalantly, walking back to where she was at first. "Before we begin the Second Exam..." She started, a little too randomly for my tastes. "I'm going to pass these out to everyone." She took out a packet from her jacket. On closer inspection, the big words at the top said 'Consent Form'.

Everyone stared at the papers in confusion, not realizing why she would pass out that. They don't understand... They don't understand most of them are going to die in that forest...

"These are consent forms. Those taking this exam must sign these." Anko explained.

"Why?" Naruto asked.

"From here on, people will die. Therefore, we need people's consent before we continue. Otherwise I'd be held responsible." Anko explained, before giving out a hearty laugh.

I sweatdropped at that. She really doesn't give a shit about us, huh? But, I doubt that they'd let Naruto die. He's the Jinchuuriki of the Nine Tails! Why would they let him partake in something this dangerous?! It's stupid!

"Now, I will begin the explanation of the Second Exam." Anko said cheerfully, passing Naruto the stack of papers. "To be concise, you will all go through an extreme survival match."

The packet was passed to me after a while, and I nonchalantly grabbed a sheet and passed it to a random cutie. Ah, I'm getting side tracked. I need to listen to Anko.

"First, I'll explain the training area's geographical features." Anko took out a scroll, opening it. "The 44th training area is a circular region surrounded by 44 locked gate entrances. There is a river, a forest, and a tower in the middle. The tower is approximately 10km away from the gates. Inside this limited space, you will have to go through a certain survival program. The program consists of..." She rolled the scroll back up, putting it in her jacket. "A competition where anything goes... Over these scrolls." She took out two scrolls from her jacket, a white scroll and a dark blue scroll.

"Scrolls?" Sasuke repeated in confusion.

"Yes." Anko answered. "The Scroll of Heaven and the Scroll of Earth. You will fight over these scrolls."

There was another silence... The only noise being the cawing crows...

"26 teams in total passed the First Exam. Half of those team will get the Scroll of Heaven. The other half will get the Scroll of the Earth. Each team will get one of these scrolls. Simply, you have to fight over these."

"And? What's needed to pass?" Sasuke asked.

"To pass you must bring the Scrolls of Heaven and Earth to the tower with your teammates." Anko answered.

"In other words, the 13 teams, or half of the people here, that get their scroll stolen will fail." Sakura analyzed.

"But it needs to be done within the time limit." Anko replied. "This Second Exam has a limit of 120 minutes. Or exactly five days." Anko put the scroll in her... Jacket. Why does she have everything imaginable in there?!

"Five days?!" Ino exclaimed.

"What about food?!" Chouji asked.

"Scrounge it up yourself." Anko replied. "This forest is a treasure box of nature. There should be plenty of food."

"However..." Kabuto started. "There are a lot of man-eating beasts, poison bugs, and poisonous plants." How do _you_ know?

"Oh, no..." Chouji whined.

"Stupid! That's why it's called survival." Ino chided.

"Also, it is not possible for 13 teams, or 39 people, to pass." Neji... Where did you come from?

"As times passes, you will be required to move more." Lee... Where are y'all coming from?! "So, the time to rest your body will become shorter. This seems quite rough." Lee smirked.

"And we're surrounded by enemies." Sasuke added... Why is everyone just randomly adding random things?! "We won't be able to sleep in peace."

"People will get hurt in the progress of fighting over a scroll, and those who cannot bear this program's strictness will emerge, as well."

"Excuse me, can we quit in between?" Shikamaru raised his hand and asked.

"As a rule, you are not allowed to give up during the exam. You will spend the five days in the forest." Anko smiled.

"Wait... Let me get things clear." I said, closing my eyes. "Half of us will get the Scroll of Heaven, while the other half gets the Scroll of Earth. We have to fight for the scrolls, and you pass when your team brings the scroll to the tower." I opened my eyes, looking directly at Anko, who gave me an amused smirk. "So, if one of your teammates die... You cannot pass?" I asked, shocking everyone around me. Anko wasn't shocked, though. Her smirk looked like it had gotten bigger.

"Oh? Why do you ask? Wanna whack someone in there?" Anko asked teasingly, making the air around me a little cold. I think I'm gonna freeze with all these people looking at me, but I'm not going to falter. I'm going to get this question answered. "Well, yeah. If one of your teammates die, you fail."

"Okay!" I nodded, a smile on my face. Good... So I only have to kill one of them... Maybe Zaku... Yeah, I don't like Zaku... And Dosu will get killed by Gaara... And Kin will get killed by Orochimaru, I think. So, everything is good~! Woohoo~!

"While we are on this topic, here are the conditions that will fail you." Anko started. "First, a team that cannot bring both scrolls to the tower with all teammates will fail." She put up two fingers. "Second, the team that loses a teammate or produces an unrecoverable teammate will fail. Also... Just as a note... You are not allowed to look inside the scrolls until you reach the towers."

"Wh-What happens if you look?" Naruto asked.

"That's a surprise you'll see _when. You. Look. At. It_." Anko smiled, wagging her finger. "When you become a Chuunin, you will be handling top secret documents. It's to determine your reliability. That is it for the explanation!" She said quickly. She then pointed to the booth that had two Chuunin Examiners sitting down in it peacefully. "We will exchange three or four consent forms for one scroll at that hut... And after picking your gate entrance, everyone will begin at the same time." She breathed in, before exhaling heavily. "Here's a last piece of advice..." She looked down, before looking back up. "**Don't die!**"

After that, we all just went in our own separate ways. We were supposed to read the Consent Forms and sign it. Well... Of course I'm gonna sign it, but what should I do in my spare time? I'm pretty sure the Sound rats know I've got it out for them... So I can't run into them. And I'm tired of following Naruto around... So...

"Hey! Jalen!"

I turned around in a little bit of surprise, because I recognize that voice! It's Tenten... What does she want with me?

"Hello." I replied lamely. Gah! I'm no good at talking with girls right! Unless I'm begging them for something... Or it's Sakura... But, I don't count Sakura as a real girl. More like a floating forehead. Definitely not a girl.

"Ah, uh... A-Are you going to take this exam?" She asked me. Wait... Duh. Of course I'm gonna take the exams. I'm here, aren't I? And why is she talking to me out of all people?

I just nodded, not really paying anymore attention on her anymore. I see Ino and her gang are bullying Sakura... Hm...

"Uh... Your brother went to my store." She said. I guess she's just trying to make small talk... Wait? He did? Tenten has a store? It must be a weapons store... Ah! That's how they knew each other!

"I didn't know that." I replied. "Did he buy anything?" I asked. I guess that was a funny question, because she giggled.

"Duh! Didn't he give it to you? The staff." She laughed. I did not know he got it from her... Oh...

"Oh, w-"

"It's time to trade your forms for a scroll." One of the Examiners announced.

"Oh! Well, I'll be seeing you later, Tenten!" I faked a laugh and ran. Man! That was awkward... That was the most awkward-est conversation ever!

I found Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke, and we all headed to the booth. The booth was covered by a red curtain, so the other teams won't see which scroll we got. Naruto gave the Examiner all of our papers, and the man gave us... The Scroll of Heaven! Yay!

"If you have received a scroll, follow the person in charge and move to your designated gates!" Anko ordered everyone. "We will begin in 30 minutes!"

This random Examiner led us to the part of the fence with a sign on it that had the number 12 on it. The Examiner stood in front of the gate, making sure we wouldn't go in before it's time.

"Alright! I'm not going to lose, ya know!" Naruto exclaimed, punching the air like a boxer. "We'll beat those who get near us first!" He yelled, fist pumping the air.

"And we have an advantage since there's four of us." I scoffed. "It was dumb of them to think that we wouldn't be a challenge."

After a _long_ time (I didn't count. Too long...) the Examiner unlocked the chain from the gate. I guess it's almost time...

5...

4...

3...

2...

1...

"**We will now begin the Chuunin Selection Second Exam!**" Anko announced. And as soon as she did, the gate just opened. Unlike everyone else who rushed in, we casually walked in, too cool to be doing all that running.

"Alright! Let's go!" Naruto exclaimed again, and we ran in the forest. It's finally time for the best arc in this story to begin! I can't wait to have some fun and test my abilities!

After about 3 minutes of running, we started walking. And after about 2 minutes of walking, we heard a scream.

Oh! Where are my manners? I have to explain the forest to you people! Let's see... Everything looks dead. Dead trees... Gloomy atmosphere... A lot of moss hanging from the trees up top... This looks like forest Hell.

"That was someone's screams, right?" Sakura asked when we heard some boys screaming. And as soon as she said that, a flock of birds came from a section of the forest and flew into the air. That was creepy, no? "I'm starting to get nervous." Sakura mumbled, inching a little closer to Sasuke.

"Okay, everyone. We need a plan." I said, taking the role of leader immediately. They all looked at me, meaning I've gotten their attention. "As you all know, I can sense Chakra. I know which guys we go to, and which guys we avoid."

Naruto nodded, before running to a bush. "I gotta pee."

"You have the bladder of a squirrel, Naruto!" I chided, but I was smirking inside. I sense one person near us... And I remember one person ambushed Naruto while he was peeing. Perfect... I can use this opportunity.

"You **IDIOT**!" Sakura yelled, punching Naruto on the head. "What are you trying to do in front of a lady?!" She pointed somewhere else. "Go behind the grass!" And that's exactly where the Ninja is.

So... This person doesn't have a scroll, if I remember correctly... I don't want to kill him, since he won't kill Naruto... I don't want to expose him already, because I want to fight at least a little bit. Hm... I'll just expose him as a fake when he comes back out. That seems to be the right choice of action.

"Ah~ I peed a lot!" The fake Naruto sighed as he got out of the bushes. Yep... Their Chakra feels nothing alike. And I can sense Naruto still in the bushes. "That felt good!" He added.

"Like I said, don't say such a thing in front of a lady..!" Sakura yelled, raising her fist, but she didn't get the chance to hit him. It was Sasuke that hit the fake Naruto in the face, knocking him to a tree. "Wha-! Sasuke! You didn't have to go that far!" Sakura gasped as the fake Naruto just lied on the ground, shaking in pain.

I instinctively grabbed my orange scroll, rolling it on the ground; opening it. "I'm surprised you figured out so fast, Sasuke." I remarked, sending Chakra to my palm and slamming it on the symbol. The scroll exploded in a puff of smoke, sending out my Bo Staff. "Sakura, grab my scroll. Make sure nothing happens to it." I ordered, grabbing my Both Staff and smirking as I saw Sasuke run up and kick the fake Naruto in the face.

The fake Naruto rolled on the ground, but jumped up on a tree branch to avoid Sasuke's second kick. Sasuke didn't slow down as he jumped up on the same branch a second later, kicking the fake Naruto back down on the ground. He fell down harder than expected, creating a big puff of smoke as he hit the ground.

"W-What are you doing all of a sudden..?" He asked, trying to get back up. Sasuke would have let him, but not me. That's what I don't understand about Anime... They _let_ the opponent get their bearings. Not me.

I took this as an opportunity to get into the fight and ran up and slammed my staff down on the fake Naruto's chest. "Don't worry, _Naruto_! This is just some friendly training. You should know that, wouldn't you, _Naruto_?" He coughed up a little blood, and as I brought my staff up to slam it down again, he rolled out of the way.

"Fine, ya know!" He wiped the blood off of his mouth and took out a kunai, glaring at me. I'm surprised he's not going to release his transformation, but whatever. It's better this way, so I'm not intimidated.

I noticed Sasuke took out a kunai, but I stopped him. "Sasuke, go and untie Naruto! I'll handle this guy!" I told the raven haired boy. He just stared at me, before reluctantly walking sway. "Don't worry, you'll get your fun, okay?"

"You're a little _too_ calm, don'tcha think?" The fake Naruto charged at me, kunai glinting. I grinned, spinning my staff to block the first attack and then swung the staff at his head. He blocked of course, but I didn't stop attacking. I swung at his leg, but he jumped up and managed to nick my cheek with his kunai.

"Jalen!" Sakura screamed, but I ignored her. There's no point in screaming if you aren't going to do anything.

"Damn it." I mumbled, before jumping back a little and sending Chakra to my feet. This should give me the push I need. I charged at him, going a little faster than he intended, and threw my staff in the air above him. He stepped back a bit, confused, but I just punched him in the face.

Ya see... I threw the staff in the air to make him think I was going to use a technique or something. But instead, I used his confusion and hesitation to get the upper hand on him and punch him in the face.

He stumbled back, the punch the not hurting him as much as I intended, and just charged at me again. The kunai would have cut my throat this time... But, I didn't just throw the staff in the air for no reason. I grabbed the staff that would've fallen on my head if I didn't, sent as much Chakra as I could have to it in that limited amount of time, and brought it down upon his head.

He tried to block with his kunai at the last minute, but with the sturdy wood and added Chakra, the staff broke through his kunai and landed straight on his head.

"Gah!" He screamed as he fell on the ground... _Hard_. There was a puff of smoke as he hit the ground again, and being the awesome Ninja that I am, I jumped back. I would have thrown an explosive kunai in the smoke, but he didn't kill Naruto, so I'm not going to kill him.

"Jalen!" Sakura ran up to me, concerned. "Are you okay? What's going on?!" She asked, obviously confused.

"You'll see in a minute." I panted, feeling sweat drip from my head into my **second** cut on my cheek. It stung, but I could take the pain. It's not like he stabbed straight into my cheek, just nicked it like how Anko nicked me. I'm now sporting a cut on both of my cheeks... But, it just proves how awesome I am! I... Think. "I think I hit him hard enough for the transformation to go away." I told the very confused girl.

"So you found out..." Another voice... Different from Naruto's said as the smoke started going away. "...How did you find out, though, is my question?" He added.

"There are plenty of things you did wrong." I started to chide. "Naruto has a cut on his cheek from the Examiner. Where did your _wittle_ cut go?" I teased. "Also, your holster is on your left leg. Naruto's right-handed." I deadpanned.

"How unlucky..." The guy finally came out of the smoke, and he was a creep. Brown spiky hair... Tan shirt (Or whatever he's wearing)... And what looks like a breathing thing on his mouth. Oh yeah, and he's a rain Ninja. This guy is the definition of creepy. "What are you, his boyfriend?" He teased, taking out another kunai since I broke his other.

I smirked. "I'm his brother." I said, seeing from the corner of my eye Sakura taking out her own kunai. "And the only reason you aren't dead is because you didn't kill Naruto. I don't think you have a scroll, since you're alone and that would be stupid, so we'll let you go if you just apologize."

"Speaking of scrolls, which one of you has it?" He ignored me, turning his kunai so it would glint threateningly. Man... Where the heck is Sasuke and Naruto? Oh... I didn't tell Sasuke where Naruto was, but he should know! Damn it! "If you give it up quietly, I'll spare your lives." He said, motioning for us to come closer. We just glared, ready for whatever he was gonna do. "I see..." He charged at us, making us tense up. "**I have to use force now!**"

**Hey~ Can you hear my voice now? **

**Hey, the sky, it needs to be blue and clear so everyone will smile...**

**And the sea, it needs to be vast and never-ever-ever ending...**

**Yes, you need to always have a smile on you all the time, yeah...**

**Or else, I'll have to go home and cry.**

**You don't have to look around you anymore, because your look is ending...**

**All of your friends are all hiding inside your hands. Yes, everyone...**

**If you think you want to cry, or you think you want to run...**

**If you forget all the happiness that's found in this world...**

**Everyone sing~**

**The bright light was created, then the darkness created **

**Those two different things are one **

**Harmonia~**

**Telepathy~**

**Hey~ Can you hear my voice now? **

_**So it's finally the start of the Chuunin Exams. What everyone has been waiting for. Hm... Jalen's had the start of his First Chuunin battle. But, this guy isn't transformed anymore! Will Jalen get intimidated?! Will Sakura help at all?! What's Sasuke doing?! Will Naruto ever get untied?! Read the next chapter to find out, ya know!**_

_**And remember to check out those stories I told you all about last chapter! **_


	27. Chapter 27

**Naruto: The New Story **

_Chapter 27: Snake Attack! _

_**Well... Enjoy? Oh, and let me get some things... Uh... Straightened out. Okay... Genin aren't really trusted to learn super techniques and such. Clan kids are (Sasuke, Ino, Shikamaru, ect...) but citizen kids are not (Sakura...). They usually learn techniques when they are Chuunin. So, it's obvious Jalen won't be learning any super amazing flashy techniques in a while. He just doesn't have the Chakra for it (He wasn't born in the Naruto world, remember?) and there's no one to teach him. I actually had to pull a few strings for him to learn Shadow Replication. (The Hokage allowing Naruto to steal the Scroll of Seals? Really?) **_

_**And it's better to learn how to aim a kunai at someone's throat than learn these super powerful techniques that will just waste all your Chakra. But, I'm not saying Jalen will not learn any techniques. He will. But, that'll be a little later. Ahem. Anyway... Bye? Enjoy? **_

**Come on, follow, we'll step on the gas. Don't look at me, I will never bargain **

**I'll run all through the night**

**There's no reason for me to complain. Unless, I'm done, but I have no balance **

**My days are all wasted **

**If you just open up, and you just get closer, you might just learn to love **

**And one day your feelings, your lover will return. Ah~! **

**Try to live long!**

**Try to squeeze life!**

**Even though my own legs, they always get wrapped up together, I will still run! **

**I will steal it! **

**I'll still take it! **

**If you're not with me, there's no motivation **

**So just go far away into the distance... **

"Which one of you has the scroll?" He asked, charging at us. "**I'll have to use force now!**"

"Defend yourself, Sakura!" I yelled, sending Chakra to my feet and jumping back. I took out two explosive kunai and threw them at the Ninja. He skillfully dodged the kunai and even managed to avoid the blasts! He then jumped up at me, I guess he wants revenge for how I beat his ass last time.

We clashed blades in the air, his blade being a kunai and my blade being my staff. He was moving too fast for my tastes, so I couldn't concentrate enough to send Chakra to my staff. He sent Chakra to his kunai, pushing me back to fall onto a tree branch. I ignored the pain on my back and rolled away to avoid being stabbed in the chest by him.

"I see you're tiring out, how lucky for me." He remarked, throwing knives and kunai at me. Since I'm not risking blocking all of that (I could twirl my staff in front of me, but it's still a little risky), and since I'm on a tree branch (It amazes me how big these tree branches are), I jumped off. I heard and felt an explosion above me, and silently thanked the God that I didn't block it. He had explosive kunai, too...

"Oh, Jalen! Help me!" Naruto practically begged, all tied up and wiggling on the ground. Okay... Where the HELL is Sasuke?!

_Clone Seal! _A second later, there was a perfect copy of me standing right beside me. I motioned for him to help Naruto, while the Ninja appeared right in front of me. I cursed in my mind as I started battle with him again, kunai clashing with staff.

"Rah!" I slammed my staff on the ground, spinned around it, and kicked the Ninja in the chest. He was unfazed, because a second later he was right behind me, kunai at my throat.

"Lucky me. If you move, I'll kill you." The Ninja threatened. "Hand over the scroll quietly."

I chuckled, even though I was a hand movement away from death. "_Unlucky_ you. You picked the wrong opponent." I said, a second away from dropping the explosive kunai that was in my hand. I can't believe he doesn't see it, but whatever. Even if I get hurt (Not if... I know I'll get hurt), I'll be able to get away.

"Jalen!" Naruto and Sakura yelled at the same time, appearing in different places. Yeah... There's no point in yelling if you don't help.

"Gah!" The Ninja groaned (Hopefully in pain), dropping the kunai from my neck. I swiftly turned around and punched the Ninja in the face, not caring about why he dropped the kunai or why he looked so surprised. "Augh!" He flew back on the ground, holding his side for some reason.

Now that I'm not in danger, I see my clone is standing right beside me, a bloodied kunai in his hand... Ah. My clone must have snuck up and stabbed the Ninja, saving my life.

"This _is_ unlucky..." The Ninja groaned, getting up faster than I would have liked. But, he's surrounded now. Naruto's on the tree branch above us, Sakura's not that far away, watching wide eyed. And Sasuke... I sense him not far away from us, but what the heck is he doing?!

But hey, at least my clone stabbed him at a place where he won't die. And it was smart enough to help! Unlike my _trusty_ teammates. But, looking at Naruto, it looked like he was gonna jump down here at any moment now. Sakura... She just can't even try to be helpful?

"Coming alone turned out unfavorable for me..." The Ninja jumped up and ran away, leaving us there.

"Hey! You won't get away!" Naruto yelled, about to chase him, but I guess he thought against it, because he actually jumped down towards me. "Jalen..." Naruto ran up to me, getting a little to close for comfort. "Are you okay? What ha-" He stopped talking, looking at my bleeding cheek. "You got cut again, ya know..."

I guess I should get used to this behavior. I'm the only one his age that actually wanted to be his friend, that wanted to talk or even acknowledge him without it being in annoyance. Of course he would feel worried or scared that I would get killed, because then he'd have no one else...

"I'm fine." I forced a smile. "Anyway, we need to check on Sasuke... I'm surprised he didn't find you sooner."

"Jalen..." Sakura started, walking up to us. "I'm sorry I wasn't able to help. I-"

"Sakura." I interrupted. "Just you being there was enough. I was scared out of my pants right then, but I was a little reassured that you were there with me."

"But I didn't do anything!" She argued.

"You didn't have to." I finalized, crossing my arms. "Come on, we need to go get Sasuke." I told them, and they nodded. Heh... I feel like the leader. "Oh, yeah." I turned to the clone that I forgot to dispel and dispelled him. I got a few memories back, some memories of cutting Naruto loose and a memory of sneaking up and stabbing the Ninja. Heh... I even got some memories of me talking... Wow.

"What happened?" Sasuke asked when we found him. He was inching back, though, probably not really trusting it was us. I sighed, preparing to speak, but Naruto did for me.

"That bastard ambushed and tied me up while I was about to pee, ya know!" Naruto grumbled. "Soon after I saw Jalen fighting the Ninja that attacked me, and Jalen sent a clone to untie me. After that, Jalen was about to get killed, but his clone helped him and the Ninja ran away." Naruto summarized that whole thing that fast... "And here we are now."

"You let him get away?" Sasuke asked, checking every detail of us to make sure we aren't fake.

"Yeah, Sasuke." I answered, sighing. "I know you don't think that it's really us, so let me try to clarify it's us for you. One. We haven't attacked you. Even if we did want to surprise attack you, I have no doubt in my mind that they could beat you. Two. My name is Uzumaki Jalen. That's Haruno Sakura. And that's Uzumaki Naruto. You are Uchiha Sasuke. We are Genin under Hatake Kakashi-sensei." I paused, as he just nodded. "And our Genin test was to get two bells from Kakashi-sensei." I added, just to add clearance.

"Okay, I trust you all." Sasuke nodded, walking up towards us. Good... So... What now?

_~A few minutes later~_

"If the four of us get separated, don't trust anyone even if he looks like us. There's a possibility that an enemy will transform into one of us and approach." Sasuke told us. We were now sitting on the ground in a clear, vacant spot. I used the medical kit Hinata gave me to fix myself and Naruto up. Those cuts could probably get infected out here.

"Yeah." Naruto nodded.

"But, as long as I'm real I can tell you who's fake or not. I know how each of our Chakra feels." I told them, but Sasuke shook his head.

"But, we won't know if you're real or not. That's the problem."

"So, what should we do?" Sakura asked, leaning in closer.

"Let's decide on a password." I took the words straight from Sasuke's mouth, grinning. He gave me an annoyed look, before nodding.

"If a different password is given, assume that he's an enemy no matter what he looks like, got it?" Sasuke's face was devoid of emotion as he said this. "I'm only going to say this once, so listen carefully."

"Okay." I nodded, but I was sweatdropping inside. I know I'm not going to understand a lick of this...

"First, you will ask, 'The Ninja song Ninki'?" He started. Uh... What? "The answer is the following... It is a good chance when a large number of enemies are making a scene. There are no hideouts even in a quiet place. It is important for a Ninja to know the right time. The time when the enemy is tired, and has his guard down. That's it."

"Okay." Sakura nodded. I didn't nod. And Naruto didn't either. We just made a strange face as we tried to remember it. I couldn't. And I sense someone underground, but not moving. I think it's Orochimaru, but I don't care. He won't kill any of us, and I'm just going to make sure the Nine Tail's power isn't sealed. That's all I think I can do.

"Can you say it one more time?" Naruto asked lamely.

"Huh?" Sakura narrowed her eyes as if that was the most simplest thing to remember. It's **NOT**!

"I said that I'm only going to say it once." Sasuke replied. He then looked at me and blinked, I did the same, seeming to get what he's saying.

I think he asked me, "Do you remember it, and do you sense anyone nearby?"

And I replied with, "Nope and yep."

He nodded, looking back at Naruto. I did the same, preparing myself for what is about to come.

"Could you really not remember it at all?" Sakura asked. "You're stupid."

"Hyek." Hyek?

"I memorized it right away." Sakura boasted like the forehead she is.

"Ah! I remembered it perfectly, too, ya know!" Naruto exclaimed. "I just wanted to be sure by hearing it one more time..." He claimed.

"I'll keep the scroll." Sasuke stood up, ignoring Naruto.

"Hey! Wait, Sasuke..!" Naruto started, but was suddenly stabbed in the cheek by a senbon. The cheek started bleeding... Uh-oh... "What was that?" Naruto winced, looking over to where it came from. I did, too, and it was just a creepier part of the forest. But, I sense...

"Chakra approaching!" I tried to warn and get up, but it was too late. A furious gust of wind came from that part of the forest and tried to blow us away.

"Ahhh!" Sakura screamed.

"A new enemy?!" Sasuke asked no one in particular, trying his best to stay on his feet. That's what I was trying to do right now, holding on to Naruto, because it's freaking impossible to stand up during this wind storm! I don't want to waste Chakra and stick to the ground... I just don't... Wait..!

"Everyone jump to the sides!" I warned them all, sensing something stronger and bigger than wind approaching. I also sense three people ahead of us... Damn it!

Sasuke and Sakura managed to take my advice and jumped to the sides. Naruto didn't, probably paralyzed by that senbon or something! Damn it, I'm not letting him go alone!

A giant, more ferocious typhoon of wind hit Naruto and I head on. Well, it would have been head on and it would have probably killed us, but I managed to jump back a little. It still hit us, nonetheless, so we flew back to who knows where. I had my eyes shut in fear at this point, so I didn't see where we were going. I could sense Sasuke and Sakura getting farther and farther away from us, though...

**BAM! **

We hit something hard, probably a tree, and fell down to the ground a little too hard for my tastes... Man, this sucks... And it hurts so much..!

"Ouch..." Naruto and I moaned in pain, both of us lying on the ground in awkward positions. "There we go..." Naruto rolled so that he was able to look around. I just stayed on the ground, lying on my back, contemplating what I should do now.

If I would have followed Sakura and Sasuke, we would have met Orochimaru. But now... We're going to have to fight some snake... And I'm terrified of snakes... Especially giant ones...

"Jalen? Jalen! Are you alright?!" Naruto asked, shaking me. Gah... I'm too hurt to be moving that much...

"I'm... Hurt." Is all I said, trying desperately to get on my knees. I managed to, but God! What the heck are we supposed to do?! "Don't worry." I reassured.

"...Where's Sakura and Sasuke..?" Naruto asked me, looking around. When he couldn't find them, he turned to me. "Can you sense them?"

"..!"

"Huh? Jalen? What's wrong?"

"S-S-Sn..." I couldn't get the words out. I just pointed, staring wide eyed, at the giant snake! Yeah... I was expecting it, but as I always say, it's hard to expect things that were once Anime into real life. So, this is the scariest thing ever.

Naruto followed my gaze, slowly, but surely, and looked up. "S-So... So huge..!" He gaped, the giant snake looming over us. "I've never seen such a huge snake!" He exclaimed, not in excitement, but fear.

"No!" I grabbed two explosive kunai and threw it at the snake, not wasting any time. I knew that snake would eat use otherwise, and I don't do snake spit.

The kunai hit the snake dead on it's underside, and then exploded. The snake hissed or screeched or _whatever_ that terrifying sound was, and a cloud of smoke covered it's head from view. I smirked, knowing I just saved both of us, and Naruto went "wooow."

"_Hiiissss!_" The snake shook it's head, blowing the smoke away! I-It was uninjured! Which means..!

"Jalen!" Naruto grabbed me and jumped away, right when the snake lunged at us. "Jalen? Can you run?" He asked me, landing on and gently dropping me on a tree branch. I looked down at my ankle, and of course it just had to be sore. God... Why?!

"My ankle hurts... It's probably twisted or something... I can't get up..." I whined, cursing as the snake looked around and found us. "Crap! Run, Naruto!" I ordered as the snake lunged at us again.

"I'm not leaving without you, ya know!" Naruto grabbed me again, and dodged the snake by the stroke of God! "We'll just have to keep runn- Ah!" He... He dropped me! He freaking dropped me, and I'm falling to my probable death!

"Aaaahhhh!" Naruto and I screamed, both for different reasons. I was screaming because I was falling, and Naruto was screaming because the snake somehow grabbed him by the ankle and was now constricting him!

"Jalen!" Naruto screamed, before the snake ate him! "Aaaaahhhhhh!" He screamed... He screamed so loud that even inside the snake I could hear him... Wait... I'm still falling... And I can't do anything about it..!

"Aaaaahhhhh!" I screamed, closing my eyes and awaiting for the pain or death or whatever's going to happen to me. After another 5 seconds of falling, I hit the ground. Luckily, I didn't fall headfirst, but I fell on my back, and I felt like I was about to die. It hurts so freaking much! "Augh!" I coughed up some blood, turning to my side so I wouldn't choke.

Falling from that high... You could either die from impact or bleed to death. Just a bit higher, and I would be dead. I should be happy... But you can't be happy while coughing up and spitting out blood.

"...I need... To..." I couldn't finish my sentence, because my chest was hurting now. I tested to see if I could still use Chakra, and gave a weak smile when I figured out I could. I just need to open up that medical kit and see what I can do about that broken ankle. Or twisted... Whatever's wrong with it.

After somehow opening the scroll, wrapping my ankle in a super cold towel (I didn't have ice), and slowly walking around a bit to get used to the pain, I started to sense where everyone else was.

Sasuke and Sakura were kinda far, while Naruto was still inside that snake. I don't really know what to do about that, so I just hope and pray that he does what he did in the Anime to get out.

But now, I'm stuck with a decision. Where do I go? What do I do? I don't think I can Ninja jump that much with this sprained ankle... So the most logical thing would be to walk back to Sakura and Sasuke. But, Orochimaru is there... And I don't want to leave Naruto. Damn it! Why am I so useless in the situations where they need me the most?! I can't help Sakura and Sasuke, their on their own, but Naruto! I can tell him what to do! Ugh!

Wha?!

...

The snake's Chakra is gone. And Naruto's Chakra is still there! I need to hurry! I have to hurry and meet up with him so we can meet up with Sasuke and Sakura! Yes! Yes! _Yeees_!

I limped as fast as I could to Naruto's Chakra presence. He must have used the Shadow Replication, because I sense a lot of him. That's good... I didn't need to worry at all!

"Naruto! Naruto!" I yelled as I neared him. He was just now dispelling all of his clones, and he was covered in slime. Well, as long as he's alive I wouldn't even care if he was covered in shit! "You made it out of there!"

"Jalen!" He looked happy to see me, but he then looked down to my ankle and frowned. But, he smiled again soon after. "You're alive! And you fixed your ankle, ya know!"

"Duh, I'm alive." I grinned, limping closer to him. "I'm not going to die that easily. Oh, and I didn't fix my ankle. I just have it so I'll be able to use it a little... I'm not a medic, you know." I told him. Man... I'm just happy nothing else bad is happening! Sasuke and Sakura might be getting mauled by Orochimaru, but I don't really care right now. All I want is a second of peace... So I can get my thoughts together.

"...Can you find Sakura and Sasuke?" Naruto asked me after a moment of calm silence.

"...Give me a second." I said, realizing I couldn't sense them that well. I put up the tiger seal and concentrated, sensing all around us. Doing it this way is better because I can actually pinpoint them. Just regularly sensing them, I can just tell the general direction they are in, unless they're close. "We need to hurry." I told him, sensing Orochimaru and a snake with them. They must be in trouble, so we need to hurry!

"Okay!" Naruto nodded, a determined look on his face.

"You need to help me, though. I can't move as well with this sprained ankle." I explained. He nodded again, standing in front of me and bending down.

"Get on, ya know." Naruto ordered. I sighed - Even though I know there's really no other way - and reluctantly got on his back, an embarrassed red tint on my face. "Okay! Show me the way!" He yelled in excitement, grinning.

I just pointed to where I sensed them at, and Naruto sped off. After a while of running, he started to tree jump. I was pretty scared he would drop me again, so I found myself holding on to him tighter.

"No need to get _that_ scared." Naruto teased, making me yell incoherent junk and punching him in the head. "Sorry, sorry!" He laughed. I found myself laughing, too. I don't know why, though...

"They're right there!" I pointed left, and Naruto nodded, jumping up a higher branch and then stopped. We looked down, and saw Orochimaru about to attack Sasuke! He was slithering at Sasuke at an unnerving speed! And Sasuke was too scared to move; he just stared wide eyed at that demon coming at him!

Sakura was just standing on another branch, staring wide eyed, too. Damn it... She never does anything! And... Why is there a dead snake over there? Whatever... Whatever...

Naruto didn't waste any time when he figured out what was happening. Shuriken and kunai was thrown right in front of Sasuke, stopping Orochimaru in his tracks.

There was a moment of confused silence as what happened registered in everyone's brains.

"Sorry, Sasuke..." Naruto apologized loud enough for everyone to hear.

Sakura looked up at us and gasped. Orochimaru turned around in confusion. And Sasuke did the same as Sakura. I jumped off of Naruto (Ow!) and grinned, putting up the peace sign. Naruto crossed his arms and smirked.

"Naruto! Jalen!" Sakura exclaimed in happiness.

"...I forgot the password." Naruto admitted, the triumphant smirk still on his face.

"**But we came to whoop ass!**" I announced. Even though Orochimaru could easily slaughter us... Hehe...

**Hey~ Can you hear my voice now? **

**Hey, the sky, it needs to be blue and clear so everyone will smile...**

**And the sea, it needs to be vast and never-ever-ever ending...**

**Yes, you need to always have a smile on you all the time, yeah...**

**Or else, I'll have to go home and cry.**

**You don't have to look around you anymore, I swear, we're always with you...**

**All of your friends are all hiding inside your hands. Yes, everyone...**

**If you think you want to cry, or you think you want to run...**

**If you forget all the happiness that's found in this world...**

**Everyone sing~**

**The bright light was created, then the darkness created **

**Those two different things are one **

**Harmonia~**

**Telepathy~**

**Hey~ Can you hear my voice now? **

_**Ahem. Well... I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I worked hard on it, ya know! And you will like it! Yes, you! You will read my stories forever! Hahahaha! Hahahaha! **_

_**...**_

_**Read and review? **_


	28. Chapter 28

**Naruto: The New Story **

**Come on, follow, we'll step on the gas. Don't look at me, I will never bargain **

**I'll run all through the night**

**There's no reason for me to complain. Unless, I'm done, but I have no balance **

**My days are all wasted **

**If you just open up, and you just get closer, you might just learn to love **

**And one day your feelings, your lover will return. Ah~! **

**Try to live long!**

**Try to squeeze life!**

**Even though my own legs, they always get wrapped up together, I will still run! **

**I will steal it! **

**I'll still take it! **

**If you're not with me, there's no motivation **

**So just go far away into the distance... **

_Chapter 28: Naruto Strikes Back! I'm Not Going To Run Away! _

"Good! You guys look kind of cool!" Sakura... What does that..? Why..? Just... Shut up, Sakura.

"Stop!" Sasuke yelled. "You two must have come here to show off by helping us, but don't get involved! Run!" He practically begged us. Wow... Orochimaru must have scared the crap out of him... "He's way above our level! You should see that, Jalen!"

"Looks like you defeated that bi-"

"I do see that! His Chakra is _suuuper_ creepy!" I interrupted Orochimaru. "But... Uh... I think that if we run away, he'll just kill you and follow us! So helping you would be the lo-"

"Did you just interrupt me, kid?" Orochimaru interrupted me, looking at me like I'm some hamburger. Gross.

"Excuse me!" I huffed and stomped the foot that's not hurt. "I was talking to my teammate! That's so rude, so rude!" I yelled. "If you're gonna be a bad guy, then at least be good in manners. I mean, sheesh..." I scoffed. Before Orochimaru could talk or kill or whatever he was about to do, Naruto started yelling.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah! Jalen's right! You don't have to be rude, ya know!" Naruto exclaimed, jumping up and down.

"They're right. You should apologize..." Sakura added.

...

"I'm sorry." Orochimaru apologized. "I'm terribly sorry that I interrupted you, I think I left my manners elsewhere... What were you saying again?"

"No, no, no. It's too late now. I'm so irritated that I forgot." I glared. "A simple apology isn't enough. You should give us your scroll."

"I ate it. I was terribly hungry, because it's pretty hard to get something to eat these days..." Orochimaru sighed. "I'm very, very sorry..."

"Ugh." I spat on the ground. "You make me sick. Just _go_! You've done enough!" I yelled, pointing somewhere else. "_Go_!"

Orochimaru blinked, before starting to laugh. "Oh, you impertinent brat. That was pretty funny, I admit. But..."

Did I mention that everything under his waist was like a snake's tail? Yeah...

"...I'm going to have fun killing you." He finished, licking his lips threateningly. I shivered, because that was creepy.

We all just stared each other down, then. Naruto was still smirking, but I was frowning at this point. I really don't think I can beat Orochimaru, of all people. Unless he let's me win, but then that would mean he has an interest in me, and might give me the curse mark. I don't think my body is able to handle the curse mark, and I don't _want_ the curse mark anyway.

"Wait!" Sasuke said, deactivating his Sharingan. Oh, I forgot to tell you guys he had that on, too. Oops.

Orochimaru turned his head to look back at Sasuke, Naruto frowned, and Sakura... I'm gonna try my best to **ignore** Sakura. If she's not going to do anything, then she doesn't deserve my attention. Anyway, I was just happy his attention was away from me, at the moment.

Sasuke went in his holster and took out the Scroll of Heaven. "I'll give you the scroll." Sasuke said, ignoring our looks of disbelief. Well, Naruto and Sakura's looks of disbelief. I don't really care if he gives Orochimaru the scroll or not, the same will happen either way. I'll just take the Sound rat's scroll, and then we meet up with Kabuto and fight some other guys and then we take their scroll. If everything goes correctly, that is.

But, if we do manage to keep our scroll, we wouldn't have to meet up with Kabuto and we could avoid another battle... Hm...

"Please, take this and leave us in peace." Sasuke practically begged, holding out the scroll for Orochimaru to take.

"Hey, Sasuke! What are you doing?!" Naruto yelled. "What are you trying to do by giving the enemy our scroll, ya know?!"

"You shut up!" Sasuke snapped back.

"What?"

"...I see, you're smart." Orochimaru complimented. "The only hope the prey has from the predator... Is to hand over something else to eat to save itself." Orochimaru explained, leisurely sitting on the branch. Sasuke just glared, before tossing the scroll over to him.

"Take it."

Naruto jumped. He jumped from the branch we were on and caught the scroll right before it landed in Orochimaru's poisonous hands. He landed on another branch, jumped off of that, and landed right in front of Sasuke.

"You..! Don't butt in!" Sasuke was fuming now, completely enraged that Naruto would save our scroll. How idiotic. "Do you understand the situation you're in?!"

Naruto didn't respond. He turned around and **punched** the blood out of Sasuke's _mouth_.

"Damn!" I laughed. How did..? Hahaha... How do you punch blood out of someone's mouth?! Haahaha! That must have been the hardest punch in the world!

Sasuke was about to fall off the branch, but he managed to jump back and land on another branch. Man... All these giant branches everywhere...

"Why you..! Why did you do that?!" Sasuke yelled. Naruto didn't respond. He just put his head down, panting as if that was the most tiresome thing in the world. However, to punch blood out of someone's _mouth... _That must have been tiresome. And why is Orochimaru just staring at them in an amused manner?

"I... Forgot the password..." Naruto finally said after an agonizing silence. "...So... I can't make sure of this, but... You're a fake Sasuke, aren't you?"

Sakura gasped, but then looked kinda mad. "Naruto... What... What are you saying?!" She demanded.

"You **idiot**!" Sasuke hissed. "I'm the real one!"

"Liar." Naruto insisted. "The idiot and coward I see in front of me can't be the Sasuke I know. I don't know how strong he is, but there is no guarantee that he'll let us go even if we hand over that scroll! You're the one who is scared, the one who doesn't understand the situation, ya know."

Orochimaru chuckled, standing up. He closed his eyes, and his legs were back. "Naruto..." He started. He suddenly opened his eyes, his super long and nasty tongue coming out. "**You're correct.**"

We all gasped at that, including me, because the tone of his voice just scared me right then. And how can he talk with his tongue out like that?! Disgusting!

"I just have to..." Orochimaru pulled up his sleeve, revealing black markings on his arm. "...**Kill all of you to take the scroll.**" Oh, shit. He's building up Chakra.

"Naruto! Jump on another branch!" I yelled. He turned and gave me a questioning look, but didn't move. It was like he was contemplating what to do..! Oh no...

Orochimaru bit his finger and wiped blood on his arm. I guess this ticked Naruto off, because he took out a kunai and charged at Orochimaru. "Don't mess with me!" Naruto shouted, getting ready to cut Orochimaru to pieces.

"Stop! Run, Naruto!" Sasuke yelled, but Naruto ignored him, jumping up to attack.

"Summoning Move." Is all Orochimaru said, placing his hands together. A lot of Chakra just started radiating from him, creating another whirlwind! I instinctively grabbed on to the tree branch so I wouldn't fall, but Naruto just flew and thrashed around in the air.

The tree branch beneath Orochimaru broke apart, and another giant snake appeared, Orochimaru calmly standing on top of it's head. The snake brought it's head up and opened it's mouth, threatening to eat Naruto, who as I said earlier was floating in the air because of all the wind.

"Naruto!" Sakura screamed. As I said earlier, don't scream if you aren't going to do anything! Geez, this is so stressful! Giant snakes, pedophiles with long tongues... Gah! I'm going to need therapy if I ever get back to the real world... Seriously.

The snake loomed over Naruto and swiftly brought it's head down, crushing Naruto under it and breaking the tree under Naruto! Wait... Naruto somehow moved in mid-air and avoided the attack! Good job, Naruto!

Naruto landed on another tree (I'll just call them trees, because they are way to big to be branches...), panting. Orochimaru chuckled, the snake under him hissing.

"How cute..." Orochimaru laughed. "Although, you should really be past your limit by now. Isn't the poison going through your body at all?"

"Poison?" I gasped. What is he talking about?! I don't remember him poisoning Naruto? Wait... Was it when..?

"Oh? The looks you're giving me tells me you don't know what I'm talking about." He chuckled again. "Ah, ignorance is bliss..."

The snake hit the tree Naruto was standing on; breaking it. It then swung it's tail up and hit Naruto upwards! Naruto flew up, hitting and breaking through tree after tree, but he then hit a hard one, and coughed up blood. Naruto was limp as he closed his eyes and started falling, not even trying to stop! Damn it!

Orochimaru chuckled again. Ya know... I'm getting tired of that. "Eat him for now." He ordered the snake.

I looked around as Naruto neared the snake, non moving. Sakura was just staring, while Sasuke just looked down in defeat. Stupid..!

I jumped. I don't know why I jumped, but I did. I was heading for Naruto. My legs just moved on it's own... I taught them well, didn't I? I wouldn't let Naruto get eaten... No. My body wouldn't let Naruto get eaten! I wouldn't allow it!

I caught Naruto right before he fell in the snake's mouth and landed on a tree trunk. I then pushed off of the trunk and landed on a higher tree. Naruto was cringing in pain... It must be the poison..!

"Well, well... The impertinent prey wants to go against the predator. Oh, well..." Orochimaru smiled. "I guess I can still have fun for a bit more."

I gently laid Naruto down, then glared at Sakura and Sasuke. Sakura looked frightened, but Sasuke just stared at me in disbelief. Hm... I'll chew them out later.

"You idiots..." Sasuke clutched his fist, making me raise a brow. "You complete idiots! This wouldn't be happening if you would have just ran away!"

"Sasuke, shut the fuck up!" I shouted, making his eyes widen. "You want us to run?! Then, why aren't you damn running?! Don't answer that, because I already know the answer! You _can't_! Even someone like you knows that you can't run away from this fight, leaving us here, so why do you think we can?! We won't!" I took out my last three explosive kunai (In my holster. I have plenty more in my scroll), holding one of them with my teeth while holding the others in my hands. "But, I'm done with that. I want to know why none of you moved when Naruto was about to be eaten! Huh?!"

"B-Because..."

"Because _what_, Sakura?! Give me a reason why you didn't do anything when he was falling?! And it better be a damn good one!" I snapped. "You can't possibly give me a reason! So, why don't you start doing something except catching flies in your mouth!"

_~Elsewhere~_

Shino sneezed.

_~Back With Team 7~_

"I'm becoming tired of your yammering-"

"Shut the Hell up you snake-y bastard! I'm fucking talking! I could have sworn I just lectured you on your damn manners!" I yelled, too pissed off to be rational. "As I was _saying_, did you think Naruto was just gonna turn super strong and pummel the snake and kill this guy?! Probably if he wasn't **poisoned**! Remember that? Yeah, **poisoned**. So, no... Naruto would have died if I wasn't here right now, because two of his _trusted _teammates are too fucking stupid to move!"

Moment of silence... Sakura's mouth slightly open... Sasuke burning a hole into the ground... And Orochimaru smirking in an irritated manner.

"Jalen... You're... Cry-"

"I'm crying? Well, I should be! I have a fucking twisted ankle, and I'm pushing myself to my damn limit right now!" I replied, rubbing the tears from my eyes.

...

"Are you do-"

"Hell no!" I spat, glaring at Orochimaru, who narrowed his eyes at me. "I want to know how you poisoned Naruto, why you poisoned him, and how to cure the poison!" I demanded, getting tired of keeping this kunai in my mouth. I just want to blow stuff up.

"You're becoming a pain. I-"

"Answer me!"

Orochimaru chuckled in response, but I could see it was forced. "I threw a senbon at him earlier. It would be a pain to fight all four of you, so just fighting three would be better..." He stopped, tilting his head at my enraged face. "What?"

"_How. Do. You. Cure. It?_" I asked through clutched teeth. If the answer was there is none, I'm blowing him, his snake, and everything else in this forest up.

"Who knows?" He laughed. This time it was real.

I jumped again. I threw the explosive kunai straight at Orochimaru, but he jumped back far enough to avoid the explosive. Sadly, I wasn't aiming for him, yet.

The snake opened it's mouth and screeched in pain. Perfect. I threw my second kunai straight in the snake's mouth. It went right in it's throat and exploded, therefore exploding it's head off. The rest of it's body fell to the ground, breaking plenty of trees. I landed on a tree, waiting for Orochimaru to jump. He didn't, so I jumped at him, taking the kunai out of my mouth and clutching it.

_Danger! Danger! _My mind told me, but I didn't listen. There's no reason for me to even be **alive **if Naruto isn't. That would just ruin _everything_! **Everything**! That's why, I'm willing to sacrifice myself to at least save Sasuke. Even if Naruto dies... Then Sasuke could be able to save this world from all of the bad things that's gonna happen! As long as Orochimaru doesn't give him the curse mark... So I'll **kill** Orochimaru! Even if it means killing myself!

Orochimaru put his hand to his mouth, and I could feel Chakra heading up there. Then, I need to thr-

Orochimaru blew **fire** on me before I could even finish the thought. Somehow, he blew fire on me without doing seals or anything. He just blew it on me.

"Aaaahh!" I screamed, dropping the kunai in my hand and shutting my eyes. Everything burns! It all just burns! And... I'm falling again... There's no doubt I'm gonna die this time... Well, I was being stupid... Again. Why would I think I could kill Orochimaru? I... I'm too weak to kill anyone...

But, instead of falling all the way on the ground, I managed to land on a tree. Now, I'm not dead, but my back is killing me. I don't even have the strength to open my eyes... And my ankle is probably broken by now... My body doesn't burn anymore, but it stings...

W-What is that?! I sense an unknown Chakra... No, it's not unknown... It's Naruto's, but it's _different_. When I concentrate on only that Chakra... I feel warmer. Is that... The Nine Tail's Chakra?

...

The Nine Tail's Chakra... That's what I was supposed to protect. I was only supposed to make sure Orochimaru doesn't seal Naruto's Chakra... But, look at what I've gotten myself into. I'm probably going to die... But, I _can't_ die. If I die, they'll fail... And I'll mess up everything...

...

Why am I always so adamant on not messing anything up? I don't even care about my own life... Just about how the plot should go. Is that what you call considerate, or stupid?

With that mindset... Of course I'm weak. I don't even care about my own life... But, that's probably because I know I don't belong here... No. I'm wrong. I do care about my life... I'm just using the plot and all that shit as an excuse. I'm _scared_ of death. I didn't act so scared earlier, though... I wonder why..?

That Chakra... Why is it getting closer to me? Why am I being picked up... And why am I on a different tree, now? Am I dead? No, I still feel pain. Then, what is it? I'm scared to open my eyes...

But, I did anyway. I opened my eyes and saw Naruto - his eyes unusually red - holding back a snake that would probably kill Sasuke and I. Wait... Why is Sasuke by me? I'm still pissed at him. And why did Naruto even bring me up here?

Sasuke looked at Naruto like he was looking at a ghost playing soccer. Orochimaru - he was standing on top of the snake - looked confused, but I could see the hint of amusement in his eyes. At this moment, I remember this scene in Naruto, and it doesn't take me long to realize red Chakra is radiating from Naruto. This just made Orochimaru smirk... Damn it.

I didn't want Orochimaru to know Naruto was the Nine Tail's Jinchuuriki. And, what happened to the poison? Maybe the Nine Tail's healed Naruto up? I don't know...

All I know right now is I need to get up before Orochimaru grabs Naruto and seals the Nine Tail's Chakra. I'm pretty sure in the future Naruto is going to need it.

I tried desperately to at least get on my knees, but my bones just felt like they were on fire. I wasn't hit, was I? I was just put on fire for a while... And I did hit my back on that tree. And my ankle is probably broken, now. But, I should at least be able to get up... Am I tired, or something? I'm hungry... What time is it, anyway?

I knew they were talking, but I just didn't care to hear. All I cared about at this moment was to get up and save Naruto from Orochimaru. My arms hurt, but I somehow managed to get on my knees. I knew I couldn't stand with this broken ankle, but I can crawl... And I can hear what they are saying, now.

"This idiot and coward I see isn't the Sasuke I know." Naruto said, glaring. If words could physically hurt people... Sasuke would be a bloody pulp by now. Sasuke was just staring at Naruto, trembling.

Suddenly, Orochimaru sent his tongue out of his mouth to wrap around Naruto.

"Naruto..." I practically whispered, but he still heard me, his eyes widening as he saw me desperately trying to stand up. It was too late, though, because Orochimaru's tongue wrapped around Naruto, who was clearly surprised.

"Why you..!" Naruto was pulled in the air, thrashing and trying to get away. But, I could tell he was trembling in pain... Is the poison not gone? "Damn it! Let go! You snake bastard!" Orochimaru held him so he was only about two inches away. Scary stuff...

"I have no doubt about you, now..." Orochimaru started. He's probably talking about the Nine Tail's... "You aren't dead... Maybe it helped you because you got emotionally excited... Hm..." Orochimaru seemed to rant to himself. I... Need... To... **MOVE! **

"Let go of him!" I practically screamed, ignoring the major pain on my ankle and jumping up. I don't know what happened, but my whole body doesn't hurt anymore! Just my ankle, but that's natural. I feel like I can..!

"You're a persistent prey." Orochimaru didn't even glance my way, he just brought his foot up and kicked me in the chin!

"Augh!" I cried as I closed my eyes and flew high up in the air. I suddenly stopped and started falling down to the ground. You know... I _hope_ I hit the ground this time... I just want to sleep... I'm tired...

Heh... I actually thought I had a chance against Orochimaru... One of the legendary sannin... Haha... How comical. That was dumb of me to just jump at Orochimaru without a plan or a weapon. What was I gonna do, bite him? No thank you...

I heard a multiple of things before I fell unconscious. Naruto shouting my name before screaming in pain... Sakura screaming noncoherent things... And Sasuke... Nothing at all. Heh... _If_ I don't die... I'm going to kick him in the balls...

**Hey~ Can you hear my voice now? **

**Hey, the sky, it needs to be blue and clear so everyone will smile...**

**And the sea, it needs to be vast and never-ever-ever ending...**

**Yes, you need to always have a smile on you all the time, yeah...**

**Or else, I'll have to go home and cry.**

**You don't have to look around you anymore, because your look is ending...**

**All of your friends are all hiding inside your hands. Yes, everyone...**

**If you think you want to cry, or you think you want to run...**

**If you forget all the happiness that's found in this world...**

**Everyone sing~**

**The bright light was created, then the darkness created **

**Those two different things are one **

**Harmonia~**

**Telepathy~**

**Hey~ Can you hear my voice now? **

_**So... Uh... Review? Yeah, I don't know about this chapter that much. I feel like I got Jalen practically mauled to death... But, it's to be expected against a legendary sannin. What? You thought he was gonna kill Orochimaru? Pa-lease... Be serious, people.**_

_**Ahem. Anyway... I hope you all liked this chapter. And don't worry... Jalen's gonna wake up in time to fight the Sound Genin. So, don't think I'm just gonna be lazy and skip all that. I'm just gonna be lazy and skip Sasuke vs. Orochimaru, because I don't think I have the skills to write that, yet. I watched the episode, and it just seemed difficult. And it's not like Jalen could do much in that fight anyway, so it would have just been a waste of time.**_

_**Also, I just want to say that the preliminary rounds WILL be different. But, there will be a few matches that will be the same because of plot and difficulties and such. Such as Sasuke vs. Yoroi, Neji vs. Hinata, and Lee vs. Gaara. **_

_**Sasuke must have the same match because I doubt that he would be able to win against anyone else in that state. And Sasuke needs to win, or bad things will happen. Neji and Hinata must fight because I need to make Naruto fight Neji in the final rounds, and it was kinda like a grudge match, so Neji's attitude will change, Hinata will get stronger, and just because. And there's no other Genin who could match Gaara at that point, so Lee has to fight Gaara so no one else will get murdered by Gaara. And... There will be some other surprising things during the preliminary rounds. So, I hope you all enjoy! **_


	29. Chapter 29

**Naruto: The New Story **

_Chapter 29: Super Eyebrow Platonic! I'll Protect You Till Death! _

"NARUTO..!"

...

"JALEN..!"

...Urg...

"SASUKE...! SASUKE'S..! HE..!"

...Sakura..?

"NARUTO! JALEN!"

I opened my eyes to see nothing but sunlight. I winced, turning to the side as to not mess up my eyes. Did Naruto forget to close the curtains before we fell asleep? And... Why is the bed so hard? Am I on the floor? It feels like it...

After a while of contemplating whether I should get up or not, I yawned, my eyes still closed as I got on my knees. I'll kill Naruto for pushing me on the floor... Then again, why is he not up? Usually, he would be up by now...

I opened my eyes, and shut them immediately after that. I opened them again, but slowly, and regretted ever waking up. I'm in the Forest of Death. I got kicked and got knocked out... And now I'm awake, lying on a tree. What the heck..?

...

Why... Do I hear sobbing? I gingerly got up, making sure to not put too much pressure - Or any pressure at all - on my right foot. I remember my ankle is twisted or broken or whatever's wrong with it. I looked around, and the sun was seeming to set. That's great and all, but where is everyone? It's too early - since I just woke up. It's not really early... - to just automatically sense where they are.

I put up a tiger seal - I almost forgot how for a second... Jet lag... - and closed my eyes, sensing all around me. I sense Naruto - Woah! He's low on Chakra... - and Sakura right over there. Wait... Why is she bent over? Is she... Crying..? That's... I can't bring myself to seeing her cry. Even if I yell at her a lot - in my mind, of course - I still don't want to see her crying. And... Where's Sasuke? I don't... Wait.

...

She's bent over _Sasuke_ and crying! I could hardly sense him! His Chakra is like that of a squirrel's! That's awful! What happened..!

"Sakura!" My voice was hoarse, but she still heard me. She swiftly turned around, a frightened look on her face. Tears were just streaming down her face as she recognized who I was, and she got less tense.

"Jalen..." She mumbled, wiping her eyes and looking at me again as if I was a hallucination. "Jalen..!" She got up, speed walking over to me. "Jalen!" More tears were running down her cheeks as she ran up and hugged me. "Naruto _mmm_... And Sasuke... And... And..!" She couldn't even talk right! She was so scared... And now she's so happy to see me. She doesn't care that it's not Sasuke, she just wants someone to... To be with her during this.

"...It's okay now, Sakura..." I awkwardly hugged her back, feeling a sting in my eye. No! I am not going to cry..! I am not going to cry! The thought that I'm a faker trying to steal her scroll didn't even cross her brain. Well, it probably did, but she must have disregarded it.

"What are we going to do..?" Sakura was still crying, but she was able to talk now. Although, it feels like she's hugging me tighter. "Sasuke's unconscious... Naruto's unconscious..! I don't... I thought you..!"

"Sakura." I grabbed her shoulder, gently pushing her off of me to look her in the eye. "Tell me everything that's happened later, but we need to find shelter and help them, okay? W-We have a lot to do... Making traps and stabilizing them, especially Sasuke. His Chakra is... Dangerously low." I told her, letting go of her shoulders.

"...Oh..." She nodded, wiping away tears. I bet she's pretty embarrassed about crying and all that junk. Whatever, I don't really care. I'd break down, too, if I was alone in a forest filled with freaks of all kinds.

"A-Ah... Uh, Sakura. You go find a good place to sleep for the night, I'll stabilize and see what's wrong with them here." I ordered, realizing I was spacing out. She furiously nodded, blushing, about to run off. "Wait!" I stopped her.

_Clone Seal! _A perfect Shadow Replication appeared next to me. "My clone will go with you in case of danger. I doubt there will be, but just in case." I explained. She nodded and then ran off, my clone following closely behind her.

_~One Hour Later~_

Sakura found this cave-like tree that looked just like it did in the Anime. We took Naruto and Sasuke in there and I put a towel on their heads. After that, Sakura put traps up while I desperately worked on them. Sasuke wincing now and then kinda scared me, but he'll make it... I think.

Anyway, it was night time now, and Sakura finally finished her traps. We were just sitting in the cave-like thing, looking over Sasuke and Naruto. I was eating my rice cake, while Sakura was drinking some water. This silence... Is kinda awkward. Oh, and I also fixed up my ankle again. Well, Sakura did, since she kinda knows how it's done, so she kinda fixed it up for me. With some rest, this ankle should be back to normal!

"His breathing is back to normal, but he still has a high fever." Sakura noted, bending over Sasuke. She looked over to Naruto and gave a sad frown. "We..." She started, looking at me. "We have to protect them!"

I nodded. "Yes, we do." I agreed, but I was getting pretty sleepy... At least I know the Sound rats won't attack us during the night. They'll wait till daybreak.

"Hey, Sakura." I yawned, gaining her attention. "You can tell me what happened, now."

"Oh." She looked tired, too, but she nodded nonetheless. "Well, when you fainted, Orochimaru took out a senbon with poison in it and stabbed Naruto straight in the stomach. He then threw Naruto somewhere, but I managed to make sure he didn't fall down."

That's... Good. He didn't seal the Nine Tail's power, but it's also bad because Naruto's more poisoned, now... Hopefully the Nine Tail's helps him... Because I don't have anything that can cure poison... I don't think...

"...Sasuke started fighting that guy after that. He actually managed to win! But, I... I don't understand... He just got up with half of his face burned off... It was like... It..." She started shuddering, tears welling up in her eyes. "His voice changed... And his neck extended and he **bit** Sasuke on the neck! And it left some weird bruise... He then burned our scroll... Showed us his Sound headband... And left... But, he said that we'll meet him again..." She put her hands on her face as she started remembering all the details in her own mind. That must have been scary for her...

"Well, I have a clone keeping watch over us, so we can get a little rest." I yawned again, sprawling out on the ground and closing my eyes. "But, Sakura, as soon as you wake up, wake me up, alright?"

She weakly nodded, starting to fall asleep sitting up. I chuckled slightly, before trying to drift into sleep. I'll try to sleep, but it's unnerving now that I sense those Sound rats close... Even though they won't attack, yet... I'm going to have to kill tomorrow...

Am I ready for that? Back in my world, I would have never killed anyone, unless they killed someone or was trying to kill someone I care about. Well... I guess this is the same thing. They want to kill Sasuke... And I reluctantly care about him a little... And they'll try and kill Sakura and I... And Naruto...

I won't let them. I'd rather blow everything up than allow them to kill anyone.

**I'd kill them first. **Although, I'm pretty sure I've said that, like, ten times already...

_~The Next Day: Early Morning~_

"Jalen! Jalen..!" Sakura shook me awake, much to my annoyance. I woke up, muttering a few suggestive words, but stopped when I saw her terrified face. She was holding a kunai in her hand, but she was trembling! Did they attack already?!

"What's wrong?!" I asked, grabbing my orange scroll in instinct. She just pointed to a bush that was shaking. I took out a kunai, as well, glaring. Well... If I didn't just wake up, I would be able to sense what it was, but I still have a bit of jet lag. That's why I **hate** being woken up!

Wait, I'm getting off topic. Something's rustling in that bush... And... And..!

A squirrel came out of it.

...

Sakura and I sweatdropped. If she was Naruto, I would have hit her on the head... But, she's not, so I can mentally hit her!

"Sakura, it was a squirrel." I said, my voice was in monotone. "What is wrong with you? Paranoid much?" I teased, yawning slightly as I stood up. I stretched a bit, but a deadly realization hit me. It's morning time... And, I can't take a shower...

...

Oh, shit...

"Geez, don't scare me like that." Sakura sighed in relief, before realizing the squirrel was running towards one of the traps she put up. She quickly stood up and gasped, throwing the kunai in her hands at the squirrel. The squirrel dodged by the luck of God, and ran away, terrified. "That was close..." Sakura sighed in relief again.

I snickered, even though I was still pissed I couldn't take a shower. I don't know what I'm going to do... I **need** a shower to fight to my fullest potential! Oh... This... This isn't good...

I quickly ignored that thought, being able to sense those Sound rats again. I took out all of my scrolls, opening and releasing all of the contents in them. My green scroll had all of my shuriken in it. My yellow one has all of my explosive tags. My silver one has all my kunai. My red one has all my explosive kunai. My blue scroll has the medical kit. And my orange one, as you all know, holds my staff.

"Why're you opening all of that?" Sakura asked, but realization hit her faster than expected. "Don't tell me..! They're..!"

"Yes, Sakura." I answered. "If you need to throw anything, use any of my weapons, except my staff. If you get hurt, use the medical kit." I thought about anything else we need to get ready for. "If I go out and fight them, you will back me up by throwing anything you feel would help."

She nodded, but... It looked like...

I face palmed. "Oh, God, Sakura! Don't tell me... You didn't sleep?!"

Her eyes widened, before sheepishly smiling. "Well, someone had to take care of them..." She answered. "But, I did doze off a little. I just woke up about a minute before I woke you up..." You're pathetic, Sakura...

Suddenly, we heard a deep chuckle, making us both tense up. "Not sleeping and taking the watch for the entire time." I recognize that voice... It's... It's... The freak; Dosu!

We both turned around to see the three Sound rats, Dosu standing in the middle with Zaku on his right and Kin on his left! Zaku was sitting down on a boulder, Kin was just standing straight, and Dosu was standing with his arms hanging like they weigh too much, or something.

"But there's no need to do so..." He started again after that pause. "Can you wake Sasuke? We want to fight him."

"And why is that?" I asked calmly, making sure not to show my nervousness. And also to stall until Lee gets here. Sakura was showing how terrified she was by all the trembling she was doing.

"We have our reasons." He replied, making his two teammates smirk.

"Bullshit. We know a guy Orochimaru is behind all of this." I told them, feeling the air get colder as soon as I did. They looked pretty shocked... Heh. Don't underestimate my information skills!

"What's that weird bruise on Sasuke's neck?!" Sakura suddenly asked, standing up. "You want to fight Sasuke after you did this to him?"

A _cool_ breeze blew by...

"I wonder, too, what is that person thinking?" Dosu mused, his creepy voice sending shivers down my spine.

"But now that we heard that, we can't ignore it." Zaku said, smirking. "I'll kill the boy and girl, too. I'll even kill the Sasuke guy." He stood up, now standing on the rock.

"Kill me? I'm sorry, you're mistaken." I started, arming myself with the staff. I'll finally be able to try out my new technique. "You're the one that's going to die here. Believe me."

"Cocky, aren't you?" Zaku glared, about to jump down.

"Stop, Zaku." Dosu demanded, making the other boy turn to look at him.

"Huh? What is it?"

Dosu didn't reply, he started walking up, and I silently prayed he would flip the switch and the trap would kill him. "How unoriginal." He commented, bending down and putting his hand on the grass. "The color of the dirt indicates that it has just been dug up. There's no meaning to a trap of it isn't made well." He tore the dug up grass off of the ground, making the trap useless. But, there's more than that...

"Tch. How dumb." Zaku commented. "So she threw that knife so that the squirrel wouldn't get caught in the trap."

"WAIT!" I screamed, probably almost giving Sakura a heart attack. "...Why is that girl not talking?" I pointed to Kin, who looked kinda shocked at me recognizing her. "Actually... Have I ever heard her speak? You two must talk too much, you never give her time to at least yell 'die' or something." I sighed, but then gasped. "Is she a mute? Oh my God, she _is_, isn't she?!" I faked surprise, but sighed at their undisturbed reactions. "Okay... That didn't work, you Sound rats must have no sense a humor. I can honestly tell you I've spent all night thinking of that... And-"

"Kill them immediately." Dosu ordered, tilting his head as if he was confused. And on that cue, they jumped at us.

"Aww... I thought you liked my hair." I smirked, nodding at Sakura to start her trap.

She smirked as well, taking out her kunai and cutting the _invisible_ wire, making a giant log come for them while they were in the air.

"A log?!" Zaku yelled, surprised.

"Oh, no!" Dosu screamed as the log was super close to them. "Not." He placed his hand on the log and then did a tiger seal, sending Chakra to his palm. The Chakra burst through the log, creating a giant hole big enough for them to fly through. Well, not fly... More like glide...

"To be blunt, you two have no talent at all." Dosu dissed us, him and his team falling down towards us. "People like you need to work harder!"

"Yo mama!" I yelled, grabbing three explosive kunai and desperately trying to aim it at them. Although, I don't think I have to, because I sense a new Chakra level approaching..!

"Konoha Whirlwind!"

A boy in a green spandex came out of nowhere at a lightning fast speed, kicking Zaku, Kin, and then Dosu on the ground. They didn't fall on the ground hard, more like fell then got on their feet, skidding back. I wouldn't let them get the opportunity to rest, I threw the explosive kunai at them, not caring if I got the aim right. Dosu and Kin managed to jump away again, unscathed, but while Zaku jumped up it exploded quicker than he expected, knocking him on the ground. He wasn't dead, but at least I did hurt him a little.

Lee quickly flashed in front of us, making Sakura gasp and bring up her kunai in front of her. I guess... That's her shield tactic? Wait... Why is there a squirrel on his shoulder..? Isn't that the squirrel from earlier..?

"He's..?" Sakura put the kunai down, staring wide eyed at Lee.

"Then the three of you also need to work harder." Lee remarked, in his fighting pose.

"Who are you?" Dosu asked.

"Konoha's beautiful blue beast... Rock Lee!"

There was a moment of silence. Dosu, Zaku, and Kin just staring at us from a distance, Lee in his fighting pose right in front of us, and Sakura and I on our knees with a kunai and staff in our hands respectively. A light breeze blew by, making the silence seem right, or something like that.

"Why are you here?" Sakura broke the silence, staring up at Lee.

"When you are in danger, I will appear at anytime..." He answered, gently picking up the squirrel and placing it on the ground. "Not. It was all thanks to this squirrel." I wonder how some random squirrel can lead you to us... But, whatever. Just fight, and I'll back you up if I feel like it.

"But, right now, we're your enemy, too." Sakura... Do you want him to leave us?!

"I told you before." Lee replied, smiling. "That I will protect you to the death."

Even after she said all that bad stuff to you? That's either real love, or plain ignorance. Let's just go with the first one, since he's trying to save us. Like I said, trying.

"Oh..." Sakura seemed to be in thought. "Thank you."

"We have no other choice." Dosu sighed, taking out the Scroll of Earth. "Zaku, I'll give Sasuke to you." He threw the scroll back and Zaku caught it. "I'll kill these three."

"I wouldn't give him the scroll, since I'm killing him first." I said loud enough for them to hear. "I'll end up taking it and then killing _you_. Although, I might leave the girl alive... She hasn't said anything to piss me off." I mused, placing my staff down and getting ready to back Lee up.

Dosu didn't respond. He pulled up his sleeve to reveal his gauntlet thing and suddenly charged at us. Sakura armed herself with a kunai and threw it at Dosu's feet. He easily avoided it, still running, and jumped up. Lee then dug his hand in the ground and picked up a giant log, making Dosu jump off of it.

"Jalen has already told me the trick to your attack." Lee remarked. "I won't dodge in a normal way." Dosu's eyes widened, he probably forgot about that. Ha, we'll end him now!

"Sakura, I'm sure Lee can take care of this guy, I'm going for their scroll." I told her, grabbing my staff and running out to the field. "And for the kill..." I mumbled, heading straight for Zaku.

"Don't interfere, Kin. I'm tired of his voice, I'll be the one to kill him." Zaku said, his voice dangerously low.

"Shuddup." I smirked, swiping at him with my staff. I have so much Chakra in it that if I graze you it'd sting like hell! "I know about you techniques, too." I said while swinging at him, him dodging all of my attacks. I'll just get in his head a bit. "Your sound abilities or whatever can smash boulders and even turn the hard ground as soft as a pillow. I don't understand how, though..."

He jumped back and ran up at me, catching me a little off guard. He had a kunai in his hand, so I took out my own, clashing it with his. It was like a test of strength then... Him pushing against me and me pushing against him, but then I added a bit of Chakra and I got the upper hand. I decided to kick at his stomach and he flew back with a groan of pain. I'm awesome!

"You also have _wittle_ holes in your palm that can push out air." I smirked, throwing an explosive kunai at him. He just dodged it, pointing his hands at me.

"Die!" And that's when the air came out, threatening to push me off by feet. I stood my ground, though, doing hand seals. I'm gonna have to try out my new technique now..!

"Yah!" I tossed my staff at him then did one final hand seal. A bunch of seals started appearing on my staff and it then exploded in a puff of smoke. When the smoke cleared, however, the staff had explosive tags all on it! He didn't see that coming, and the staff hit him head on, exploding on contact. Not before he put his arms up to block the attack. There was another explosion of smoke surrounding him, and I did another hand seal, making the staff appear in my hands. I'm glad I headed to the Hidden Leaf library... I would have never found out this technique. It was unnamed, though, and it has many different versions...

"GRAAAA!" Zaku charged out of the smoke, blood dripping from his head. I sent Chakra to my staff again, blocking a punch at my face. "How did you know that?! All that information about us?!" He asked, grabbing onto my staff. He winced at the Chakra coming into contact, but held on tight anyways. "What are you, some spy or what?!"

"A spy? No, no, no... I can see the future." I replied nonchalantly, even though we were inches close. How is he even alive?! I'm not going to let this bastard get under my skin! "Remember when I said you were going to die?"

I grabbed an explosive tag, placing it on his arm.

"I wasn't lying." I smiled, placing my foot behind his and pushing him to the ground. I jumped on top of him, holding his arms to the ground to make sure he wouldn't take the now burning tag off.

"Ahhh! Get off!" He screamed, thrashing under me when he felt the fire on his arm. Oh, he'll be feeling a lot more than a burn.

"This is going to hurt like hell, so at least stop struggling." I monotoned, watching his now distressed face. "Bye nii~!"

And that's when I felt the most pain I've ever felt in my life.

_**Yeah... Don't worry, Zaku's not dead. Jalen's going to kill him more Ninja-like. Anyway, review! And check out my newest story, Naruto: Path of Shinobi! Bye nii~!**_

_**Oh, and if you don't like this story, why are you still reading up to here? I respect constructive criticism, but I hate flamers. Just... Stop. It's actually pretty annoying, but it's also stupid because you keep reading the story. Maybe I should have put this earlier, but if you don't like, don't read.**_

_**...**_

_**...**_

_**Bye nii~!**_


	30. Chapter 30

**Naruto: The New Story**

There was a huge explosion that shook the forest itself. All the birds around flew away, and all the squirrels ran for their lives. The smoke wafted around the area, looking as if it wouldn't go away for a while. Everyone gasped, Kin unfortunately getting caught in the explosion. Lee had just finished his technique on Dosu, the latter being on the ground, knocked out.

There was a moment of silence when everything calmed down, Kin and Dosu's bodies on the ground. Sakura looked around, surprised at how everything happened so fast, but then looked at where the explosion happened.

Sakura gaped when she realized what exactly happened. _Jalen..? _She shook her head, mentally hitting herself as she called for the boy. "Jalen! Hey, Jalen!" She didn't get an answer... Just an eery silence. "Jalen! Stop playing around! Hey!" She gave a nervous smile, desperately calling the boy's name. When she still didn't get an answer, her mind went to dangerous places...

_Jalen, he's... He's __**dead!**__ No one could have survived that! He's __**dead! **_She started to weep, hiding her face in her hands. _This can't be happening... Sasuke and Naruto's unconscious... And... And Jalen blew himself up!_

"Sakura-san," Lee started, appearing right in front of the girl. "Your teammate sacrificed himself to protect you... He even took out two of the enemy," Lee couldn't help but feel a sting of guilt that he didn't feel anything for Sakura's teammate. Shouldn't he be sad, too? No... He hardly knew the other boy, so there was no real reason to feel that sad. Ninja die for their country... But... But this is all just a test! No one should die because of a stupid test! "I... I'm sorry."

"No, Lee-san," she furiously shook her head, faking a weak smile. Tears were still running down her face. "You took out one of them, too... It's just," she looked over to the now gaping hole in the ground. There was nothing left of the two boys... Just a big hole... "He didn't... He didn't have to do that!" She had her hands in her face again, wishing she could just hide in her bed back home. "If only... If only I was stronger... My teammates are always protecting me... And now, now one of them **died** for me," she had a grim look on her face as she looked over to her other two teammates.

"Sakura-san," Lee bent down beside her, knowing this was the time a man was supposed to comfort a women. This is what he's been dreaming about... But, he didn't want _this_ to happen... No one should have had to die for him to be able to hug Sakura.

"Naruto," the words left her tongue like water from a faucet, dripping with sorrow. "He'll never forgive me... I still don't know how those two are -**were** brothers... And I still don't know why Jalen was put on our team without going to the Academy... But, they were close. And he'll hate me now... He'll hate me because I let Jalen..."

"Sakura-san, you didn't let him die. He practically killed himself!" Lee argued, outraged that Sakura was blaming herself. "It's not your fault, so whatever Naruto or _whoever_ says otherwise, just tell me! I said I'll protect you till death!"

Sakura looked up, her face still grim, and she faked another smile. "Lee-san... Thank you," she said, practically snuggling up in Lee's arms. He couldn't help but smile that Sakura was so close to him! She didn't care that it was Lee who she was with, she just wanted comfort.

_Guy-sensei! I finally did it! _Lee inwardly cheered, forgetting all about Jalen. _Sakura really loves me! _

There was a moment of silence... The only noise being Sakura's muffled cries. They didn't notice the disappearance of Kin and Dosu's bodies, even though the smoke was all cleared up. So, the evil chuckling surprised both Lee and Sakura, making Sakura abruptly push away from Lee and hold up a kunai, shakily. Lee was surprised by the lack of contact, but immediately got in a fighting position anyway.

"That was sudden, wasn't it?"

They both gasped as they saw the two people in front of them. Zaku... And Kin!

"That stupid guy tried to blow us up! I can't believe someone would really do that... How stupid," he deadpanned, smirking at the pink haired girl's enraged expression.

"How are you still alive?! You were just blown up!" She yelled, standing up. She was still trembling, but the tears were gone.

"I used my technique," Kin started to explain, making Sakura shudder at the coldness in her voice. She also noticed this is the first time she's heard her talk. "Sound Element: Perceptual Disturbance. It's pretty much like an illusion technique," she turned over to the gaping hole where Zaku should have died. "I started the technique when that boy threw that explosive staff at Zaku... It made you all think Zaku got hit with it, but he jumped back just in time. So, just imagine all the things that boy did to Zaku... Without Zaku being there! In actuality, he really did blow himself up..."

"That... That can't be true!" Sakura yelled. "I would have found out you were using an illusion technique! Jalen would have found out! We wo-"

"Didn't we tell you before? It must have slipped our minds," Kin smirked, Zaku doing the same. "**We're on a different level than you.**"

Suddenly, Lee and Sakura turned their heads to where Dosu was supposed to be, but he wasn't... He was actually charging at Lee from his side! Lee didn't know what to do when Dosu punched at him, so he brought his head back to avoid the punch.

"Lee-san!" Sakura screamed in a whisper. Lee didn't respond, he just sluggishly punched at Dosu to get him away from Sakura. Dosu calmly stepped back, watching with slight interest as the boy fell down in front of him, panting.

Lee didn't know what was happening, but he realized that he couldn't see straight. His balance was all messed up, and everything he looked at seemed all swirly.

"You really are fast, aren't you?" Dosu mused. "Even though you were exhausted after doing that technique on nothing... You still managed to dodge my punch," it sounded like he was praising the other boy, but it was far from it. "But our moves are the speed of sound, and exceed yours."

Lee could hardly understand what Dosu was saying, but he didn't care. He desperately tried to get on his knees, to protect Sakura, but everything was spinning, and he was exhausted.

"I will teach you that there is a wall that you can't get pass just by hard work," Dosu said, tilting his head. Kin chuckled, while Zaku smirked. Lee felt his consciousness leaving him, but he wouldn't give up. And Sakura...

Sakura didn't know _what_ to do! Jalen is dead, Lee is being defeated, Naruto and Sasuke are straddling between life and death... Meaning she was the only one that could do anything..! But... But _what_?!

_Chapter 30: Sakura Blooms! The Back of Determination! _

Suddenly, Lee started to violently throw up. With everything spinning, whatever he looks at being swirly, and without even being able to stand up... He threw up, instead.

"Lee-san!" Sakura screamed. Lee didn't reply, but instead, his ear started to bleed! If Jalen were alive... I'm sure he'd blame Sakura's voice. It's really annoying, you know? But that wasn't it...

_My left ear! _Lee screamed in his mind, clutching the bleeding earlier.

"There's a little trick in my attack," Dosu started, bring up his arm to show his gauntlet. "Just dodging it won't help, as you were told."

_What did he do?! _Sakura thought, desperately searching her mind for a solution. _Didn't Jalen say something about sending chakra to it, or something..? Sending sound to his brain? Wasn't that it..? _

"As your dead friend said: It's sound," Dosu started. "Do you know what sound is?"

"Vibrations?" Sakura answered.

"**Correct,**" he replied in a menacing tone. "Being able to hear something means that your eardrum catches the vibrations in the air. And the human eardrum will shatter at anything above 150 decibels. On top of that, by applying a shock to the semicircular canals... An opponent will lose his sense of balance."

Lee's eyes widened, making Dosu chuckle. Oh, he _loved_ explaining how his attacks worked. Mystery is for ninja, and he's not a nin- Oh, wait...

"You won't be able to move your body well for a while," Dosu glowered, making Lee flinch. This is what he gets for helping a pink haired banshee... A busted eardrum and zero balance.

"Your outdated hand-to-hand combat moves won't work on us," Zaku said. "It would have been effective if you actually used it on one of us, but Kin already explained her technique. So it's not going to go as smoothly as you thought it'd be. Although, let me explain my technique now... I can control supersonic waves and air pressure. And I'm capable of destroying even a rock."

...The things Jalen could say if he was alive right now...

"I can send air into the ground and make it a cushion, as well," Zaku continued. "It's different from your dumb moves," he said, opening his hands and sending air out of the little hole on both of his palms.

Sakura gasped, making Zaku sneer. He also loved explaining his moves, because he's nowhere near a ninja. Nope. Who needs the advantage of surprise? No one... Because ninjas are stupid.

_Damn it! _Lee glared, twitching from the pain in his ear.

_"Lee, the only time you're allowed to use this move is when you must protect someone important," Guy told the boy, Lee staring up at his sensei in admiration._

_"When I must protect someone important?" Lee tilted his head in confusion. What does he mean by that? And why? _

_Guy didn't respond right away. He placed his hand on the boy's shoulder and brought his face closer to him, a cheery smile on his face. "Still, I'm impressed that you mastered it," he said, tapping his finger on the boy's forehead. "Well done, Lee."_

_Lee didn't stop the smile from forming on his face, and tears of happiness welled up in his eyes. _

_Damn it! _Lee cursed, not knowing what he should do. Suddenly, Dosu charged at Sakura, who was on her knees.

"You're next!" He exclaimed, bringing his arm out to expose the gauntlet.

_Shoot! _Lee gasped, turning around and widening his eyes.

_He's coming! _Sakura glared, but inside she was trembling. She took out a kunai and got in a defensive stance, Dosu getting closer to her every second. Lee ignored that the world was spinning... He ignored the pain in his ear and the throbbing of his eyes. He jumped up and quickly ran in front of Sakura, bringing his foot up to kick Dosu's head off. But, he stopped midway, the pain being too much to bear.

"Looks like my previous attack was effective!" Dosu exclaimed, jumping over Lee's slowed attack. "You surprised me a bit..." He bent down, Lee and Sakura looking down at him wide eyed. "But I don't see a trace of your chain combo that was executed in a flash!" He swung at Lee, the latter bringing his arm to block the punch.

Dosu suddenly sent chakra to his arm, a screeching sound coming from the holes in his gauntlet. Lee winced at the eardrum busting sound, seeming to lose the strength in his body.

"This arm amplifies the sound that is generated inside to it's maximum, like a speaker!" Dosu explained.

"Lee-san..." Sakura gasped, but did nothing to help as she just watched the scene in front of her...

...

No comment. If only Jalen was alive!

"But the sound of impact is not limited to the direction of my hand," Dosu started. "I can use my chakra and join it into the target!" After the words left Dosu's mouth, Lee made a blood curdling scream of pain, the sound going straight into his bleeding ear!

"Lee-san!" Sakura screamed. And with that, Dosu calmly brought his arm away from Lee, the latter falling to the ground in a slump.

"Now then," Dosu said in a sing song, but creepy voice. "Time to finish you off." He brought his arm up again, readying the chakra. A new found strength of courage rose up in Sakura's body, and her face turned a bit red of anger. She couldn't let that happen... She won't let that happen..!

"Not on my watch!" Sakura yelled, and then threw three kunai at Dosu. Dosu calmly brought his gauntlet up to block, and glanced at Sakura.

"Geez..." Dosu sighed, staring at the now slightly afraid pink haired girl.

_~Watching The Fight In A Nearby Bush~_

"Come on, let's run away. They're dangerous," Chouji begged, practically trembling. He was the one that saw the fight from afar, and he was also the one that led them there... But he knew that he stood no chance against them.

"Looks like Sasuke and Naruto are out of it," Shikamaru noted. "But I don't see Jalen anywhere. And even Lee is getting beaten, so now it's just Sakura," He had a tired, but slightly grim expression on his face. He also knew they stood no chance against the creeps, but at this rate... "What are you going to do, Ino?" He asked, now looking at her.

Ino had a terrified expression on her face, fearing for her rival's life. But... She knew that she couldn't do anything, either... So... So... "What, you ask?" She mumbled back, her expression not changing for a second.

"Sakura's in danger. Are you okay with that?" Shikamaru asked, sucking his teeth at his teammate's stubbornness. Ino blinked, looking at Shikamaru from the corner of her eye. "You two were best friends, right?" Ino gasped, her eyes widened in what looked like terror now. She was remembering... She was remembering something of her past..!

_"Hey," a little, no more than 7 year old Sakura started, looking down. Her friend, Ino, smiled at her. They were sitting down on a bench, sakura petals falling from the tree behind them. It was a peaceful scene, the only thing unnerving was Sakura's saddened face. _

_"What is it, Sakura?" Ino asked after a while of silence. "You're being serious all of a sudden."_

_"Um... Ino-chan..."_

_"So, what is it?" Ino asked, Sakura acting a little like Hinata for the moment. It made her laugh inside, even though her friend was always a little shy. _

_Sakura turned her head to look Ino dead in the eye, her saddened face now turned serious. "You like Sasuke-kun, right?" She asked, but it sounded like she was just making sure. Ino's smiling face turned into a surprised face, a light blush forming. Sakura jumped off of the bench, starting to walk away from the surprised girl. "Then, we're rivals from now on." And with that she was gone, not even turning around to say bye. _

_Ino stood up. She tried to say something, but she could only stare at Sakura's retreating body. _

_Why... Why am I remembering that event? _She thought, a hard look on her face.

"Hey, Ino," Shikamaru brought her out of her thoughts, making her look at him again. "What are we going to do?"

"I know we have to help, but we can't do anything!" She whispered back, glaring. "We can't just jump in there." Shikamaru's eyes widened, but he then scowled at her. Ino ignored the look, turning back to the fight.

_Even if I join now... I'll just get beat..! _So Ino just stood there, watching the fight. No one noticed, but her legs were furiously shaking...

_~Back To The Main Fight~_

_I... I can fight, too! _Sakura took out three more weapons, now shuriken, and threw them at Dosu again. Zaku suddenly slid in front of Dosu, sending out air from his palms and making the shuriken stop and fly back towards Sakura.

"Ah!" Sakura brought her arms up to shield her face, the shuriken luckily flying past her. _Air pressure? My shurikens were deflected... _She turned around and tried to run back to the hut to grab some explosive kunai, but someone abruptly grabbed her by the hair! It was Kin, darkly sneering at her. "Ah!" Sakura fell on her butt, Kin still having her painfully by the hair._ How... How did she get towards me so fast?!_

"Your hair is glossier than mine," Kin started."If you have time to care for your hair, **train more!**" She started violently pulling Sakura's hair left and right, as if she was playing with it. "Trying to be sexy?"

Sakura just looked down, looking like a fallen angel. She knew she couldn't do anything... It was stupid for her to even try...

"Zaku, kill that Sasuke guy in front of this pig," Kin demanded, still playing around with Sakura's head nonchalantly.

"Oh, that sounds good," he nodded.

"Hey, now..." Dosu smirked. It was as if they took away every threat to them, and were acting like nothing was even there! Well... Sakura's the only one in commission, and she's having her hair pulled like a Barbie doll.

_I won't let you..! _Sakura growled, trying to stand up and get the other girl away from her.

"Don't move!" Kin demanded, pulling her hair a little harder than usual, making Sakura shut her eyes in pain.

Lee weakly turned to look at the other girl. His body wouldn't move at all, and he was in a lot of pain. There was no way he could help. "Sakura-san," he muttered, feeling useless.

Sakura dug her fingers in the dirt, trembling in fear and a little pain. _I can't... I can't... Move. _Tears were dropping from her face as she put her head down, the tears falling onto her now dirty skirt. _I'm... Just being a nuisance again. I'm always being protected... This is vexing... I thought that I won't be one this time... I thought it was my turn to protect my important people..! But... But I even let one of them die! _

"Then, let's do this," Zaku smirked, slowly walking over to where Sasuke and Naruto were situated. No one noticed, but Sasuke was seeping dark chakra...

_~Watching The Fight In A Nearby Bush~_

"Hey, Sasuke and Naruto are in trouble," Shikamaru stated, looking worried. Zaku was just now walking past where Sakura and Kin were, Sakura just looking down in defeat, sorrow, and uselessness.

_What should I do..? _Ino thought, looking wide eyed at the scene.

~Back To The Main Fight~

Sakura suddenly grabbed a kunai from her holster, shaking the tears from her eyes.

"There's no point to that," Kin said, but Sakura ignored her, holding the kunai in front of her. "That won't work on me."

Sakura looked back at her, a dark smirk on her face, the kunai held close. "What are you talking about?" Kin just stared, trying to read what she was talking about, but then gasped in realization.

"What?!" She exclaimed. Sakura brought the kunai to her long, pink hair, a determined look on her face. Everything seemed to go in slow motion, everyone, even the unknown visitors, staring wide eyed as Sakura placed the sharp end to her hair... And...

And cut her long hair in half! Kin fell back, pulling onto the hair a bit too hard to suddenly stand straight. Sakura's forehead protector slowly slid off of her head, her hair flowing around in every other way. She was still looking down even now, as everyone stared at her in amazement.

_I've always been acting like a grownup ninja... _She held on tight to her kunai, a strand of hair stuck to the item. _And I've always been saying that I love Sasuke-kun. And I've always lectured Naruto like I was better than him... And Jalen... He would always give me annoyed looks, but he would always help me. But all I've been doing is watching their backs. _She slowly stood up, many strands of hair still falling off of her head. _Still..._

_"Protect the client!" Jalen ordered the girl, his attention on saving his brother. Sakura nodded, sliding in front of Tazuna with a kunai to defend herself. _

_"Right! Get back, Mister!" Sakura exclaimed, looking determined but scared at the same time. The enemy ninja just kept charging at the pair, as if the girl wasn't even there. The enemy brought their clawed hand up, aiming straight for Sakura's face. She froze, but Sasuke suddenly slid in front of Sakura, his arms out to protect both her and the client. _

_"Get back!" Was all he said, glaring at the ninja. _

_..._

_Naruto bent down, grabbing his forehead protector with his bandaged hand. His expression was hidden behind his bangs, but a frown could be seen a mile away. He staggered back up, obviously beat up from Zabuza's attacks. _

_"Now then," he tied the forehead protector back on his forehead, facing away from his teammates and looking straight at Zabuza. "Let's get wild!"_

_..._

_Dozens of Shadow Replications surrounded Zabuza and Sasuke, the latter having their chest stepped on. They all jumped up, their target being Zabuza. They surrounded him, making a dome of Shadow Replications. They all had their kunai stuck out, so they could stab Zabuza if they got the chance, but Zabuza just thrashed around with his sword, knocking all the Naruto away and dispelling most of them. _

_**I can only think of this way to defeat him now! **__Naruto thought, sliding back on the ground while rummaging through his bag. "Sasuke!" He exclaimed, taking out a Fuuma Shuriken and throwing it to the other boy. Sasuke easily caught it then jumped in the air, spinning as he brought power to his arm. _

_"YAAAAAHHH!" Sasuke yelled, using all of his strength to throw the shuriken at Zabuza. The real Zabuza; the one holding Kakashi captive. The shuriken flew at Zabuza with a deadly spin, but Zabuza easily jumped over it, not wanting to take his hand out if the Hydro Prison. The shuriken suddenly exploded in a puff of smoke behind him, revealing Naruto with a kunai!_

_"This is the spot!" He exclaimed, and then threw the kunai straight at Zabuza with deadly precision. _

_..._

_"I shouldn't have forgotten about you," Haku said, taking out a senbon and slicing at Jalen's chest. He stumbled back, obviously surprised by the attack, before charging at Haku with a kunai in hand. The weapons clashed, before Haku kicked Jalen in the stomach. _

_Jalen slid across the floor, coughing as Haku charged again, not wasting any time. He was doing one hand seals while he was charging, which made Jalen suck his teeth. He got up, obviously still in pain, and blocked the senbon slicing at his neck. _

_"Sorry, but I need to end you here. Please don't hate me," Haku pleaded, making Jalen scowl. He stopped the one hand seals, exclaiming, "Flying Water of a Thousand Kills!" Haku stomped the ground, making the water on the ground jump up and float around them. The water slowly, but surely, floated a little higher, Jalen seeming to be in panic. The water then molded into spikes of ice, pointing at both Haku and Jalen. _

_The ice then quickly bucked down at them, but not before Jalen somehow broke Haku's senbon with his kunai and slashed at Haku's chest, creating a small gash. The ice then gorged both of them, but mostly Jalen. One giant spike was right through his chest, and plenty more was littering through his body. One was terrifyingly stuck through the top of his head. Haku just got stabbed in his leg and foot, making him fall backwards to the ground. _

_**Poof! **_

_Jalen exploded in a puff of smoke, revealing a metal beam. Everyone gasped, that being the last thing they would expect. They all looked around to find Jalen relatively unharmed beside the ice dome. Jalen just did a little dance, before heading into the dome of ice with Naruto and Sasuke. _

_They always fought to protect me... _Sakura thought, clenching her fist. Her forehead protector was falling to the ground, now fully off of her head. _Lee-san... You said that you liked me. And fought with your life while protecting me. I think you taught me something... _The forehead protector was now nearing the ground.

_Naruto: Sakura-chan! _

_Jalen: Sakura..._

_Lee: Sakura-san. _

_Sasuke: Hmph... _

_I want to become like you four. _The forehead protector hit the ground with a clang, seeming to put everyone out of their thoughts. _Everyone... This time... _She clenched her fist harder, glaring off into the distance. Her messy hair blew in the wind. _Please watch... Please watch my back..! _

_Sakura! _Ino's eyes widened, looking at her rival.

"Sakura-san," Lee mumbled, before closing his eyes and allowing himself to go into unconsciousness.

Zaku scowled, not liking where things were heading. "Kin, kill her!" He demanded. Kin nodded, taking out three senbon needles. Sakura just had her back turned to her, starting hand seals. Zaku smirked, recognizing the seals she were doing and doing his own. _That seal must be..._

Kin swiftly got beside Sakura in the blink of an eye, slamming the senbon in Sakura's side. Sakura exploded in a puff of smoke, leaving a log behind. Kin gasped. "Replacement Technique..?!"

_She's to the right. _Zaku noted, ready to let loose his air pressure. _Who does she think we are? She's going to fight me with such a basic technique... _And as he said, Sakura was charging at him with kunai in both of her hands. "Kin, stay back!" He ordered. Kin nodded, jumping away while Sakura just threw the kunai at him. "Useless!" He exclaimed, aiming his holes at the weapons flying at him. "Air pressure, 100 percent. Supersonic waves, 0 percent. Power..."

Sakura just started the seals for the Replacement Technique again, making Zaku scoff.

_Can she only use one technique? _He asked himself. "Air Cutter!" He shouted, blasting air out of his palms, making the kunai fly back at Sakura. The kunai hit her head on, but she exploded in another puff of smoke, being replaced with another log. _So obvious... She's above. _He looked up and there she was, flying down at him while doing the seals again. "I'm telling you, it's not going to work more than two or three times," he smirked, taking out four kunai. "This is good enough for you!"

He threw the kunai at Sakura, who was shielding her face with her arms. One kunai stabbed both of her legs, one got her on the stomach, while the other hit her arm. Blood spurted out of each wound, but it was nothing life threatening.

Zaku smirked, now looking around. "Heh. Now where did she go?" Suddenly, a drop of blood fell on his cheek, making him widen his eyes in surprise. He slowly looked up to see Sakura still falling towards him with a kunai now in her hands! "What?!" Sakura was too close for him to move or attack..! _She didn't use a replacement this time..! _"Gaaaahhh!" He screamed in pain as he brought his arm up to avoid being stabbed in the chest. Blood squirted out of the stab wound as Sakura fell on top of him, a hard look on her face.

They fell to the ground and Sakura immediately brought her teeth down on the boy's arm. Everyone's eyes widened as they saw the little civilian girl manage to trick the older, more experienced ninja with just a simple Replacement Technique! And she was now biting him, while the other boy narrowed his eyes in annoyance and hate!

"Let go, damn it!" Zaku yelled, violently punching Sakura in the head. "Get off of me!" He yelled, adding more power to each punch. Sakura just stayed, her eyes shut with pain. She bit down a little harder, making Zaku punch her harder. "Damn it! Get off! Let go!" They stayed like that for about three minutes, everyone just staring at them. Until... Until they heard a scream.

"GOD DAMN IT!"

Everyone turned their heads and gasped again. It was Jalen... He was stomping over to where Sakura and Zaku were. There was a sadistic, but angry look on his face as he slid out a kunai, a smirk forming.

Sakura's eyes widened when she heard the voice, making her lose her grip and giving Zaku the opportunity to punch her off. He didn't, though. He was staring at Jalen, his eyes wide in confusion and anger. But... But he felt a little cold under his gaze. It was like that one look promised pain.

"Before I start to whoop ass, let me set the scene," he said, turning over to where Team 10 were hiding. "Ino, Shikamaru, Chouji, hurry up and get over here. It's actually pretty sad that you all would just sit back and watch this." They all gasped, not moving an inch. They forgot Jalen was a sensor...

"Damn it! Damn it! Damn!" Zaku couldn't take anymore. He thought that bastard was dead, and he's sick and tired of this bitch biting him! He gave one more chakra powered punch and punched the shit out of the girl. She finally flew off of him, a lot of blood running down her face.

"Ja... Len..." She mumbled, trying desperately to get up. She didn't know how he was alive, but she'd ask questions later. Right now... She didn't know what she could do right now. Her body was hurting, and she was tired and confused.

"Kin, kill him while I kill her!" Zaku demanded, but Jalen moved before the words could fully leave his mouth. He was heading for Kin, who was already prepared with senbon in her hands. They clashed, Jalen obviously keeping an eye on Sakura. Kin took out more senbon in her free hand and stabbed at Jalen, but he jumped up just in time, tossing shuriken and kunai both at her.

She jumped to the side to avoid it, but was suddenly roundhouse kicked in the head. "Augh!" She fell on the ground, but quickly rolled to avoid the kunai thrown at her. But, it wasn't just a normal kunai.

**Boom!**

She was blown to the side by the explosion, but she still had fight left in her. She didn't know how this boy was moving so fast, but she didn't care. She knew she had to get on her feet and keep fighting, less she die.

But she wasn't given the chance to. Jalen was on top of her in the blink of an eye, a kunai harshly pressed to her throat. She gasped, but saw the hesitation in the boy's cold eyes. _He won't kill me. _She thought, smirking. _But... My hands are pressed behind my back, so I can't do anything... What will I do? _

"How boring," she decided to let him lose his guard, then she'd attack. "Why don't you kill me? I'm sure you're just itching to."

"Wow, your voice is creepy," Jalen deadpanned. And that was all he said, making Kin scowl. _That's_ why she hardly ever talked... Everyone just had to say how creepy her voice was...

_He... He beat Kin? _Zaku was too engrossed in the fight to kill Sakura, but he never expected that to be the ending. However...

"Come on, aren't you going to kill me?" Jalen taunted, still walking over to Zaku, each step as threatening as the other. Now, I bet you're all very confused, so let me explain. The one that was just fighting Kin was at first Jalen, but he summoned a Shadow Replication in the air to take care of her. So, the one on top of her right now is a replication, and the one walking over to Zaku is the real one.

"And I'm not going to repeat myself," he turned over to where Team 10 were still hiding. "Stop hiding in the bushes and help one of your friends!"

When Jalen said that, it just made Ino feel a hole in her heart. Friends... That's what Sakura and Ino _were_. But, they do know each other, so why was she just sitting and watching Sakura get herself killed? She wouldn't live with herself if Sakura did die... So...

Ino jumped up and slid in front of Sakura, Shikamaru grabbing Chouji by the scarf and following her. They stood in front of her in a defensive stance, making Sakura gasp. She didn't understand when Jalen was just randomly calling out to them... But knowing that they are here...

It just makes her feel a whole lot better.

"Heh, some new weird ones are here now," Zaku smirked, watching Jalen from the corner of his eye. He had to be cautious, and it didn't look like Dosu was gonna be helping any time soon.

"Ino," Sakura was on her knees now, staring up at the other girl.

"Sakura, I promised that I wouldn't lose to you, remember?" She smirked, Sakura gasping.

...No one noticed, but a light tint of red was on Jalen's face...

_**OMG! KIN'S JAPANESE VOICE IS THE MOST HIGH PITCHED AND CREEPIEST THING IN THE WORLD! I'm gonna have nightmares... AND THEN... AND THEN IT JUST GETS DEEP RANDOMLY! AHHHHH! **_

_**To be honest, just because of her voice, long hair, and because of how fast she is... I'm starting to think she's the creepiest member of the Sound Genin. Dosu is either tied with her or a close second, and Zaku is just a bastard. **_

_**Anyway, I'M SORRY EVERYONE FOR ACTING LIKE JALEN DIED! I personally don't like when the main character acts like he's dead, but they're not... And the other characters cry for him and whatever... And I know you guys don't like it, so don't type a review saying anything about it, because it'll just be removed... And there's a completely logical explanation why he's not dead! I'm not gonna be like, "The explosion missed." Because that's dumb. Or, "I used the Replacement Technique." Because he couldn't have, since he was holding down Zaku. So, you'll see... In the next chapter. **_

_**...**_

_**Why do I feel like this chapter just totally sucked? I don't know... Oh, maybe I should explain why I have it like I do. Ahem, I did this chapter because how else would Sakura have become independent and strong? And how else would her hair get short? And... This chapter just had a big role in the story line... Yeah...**_

_**Anyway~! Uh... Next chapter... The Sound Genin should either die, or get away! Duh duh duuuuh! The moment you've all been waiting for... See ya next time, ya hear!? Bye nii~!**_


	31. Chapter 31

**Naruto: The New Story **

_Chapter 31: The Ultimate Formation! Ino Shika Chou! And Ja! _

The forest was quiet. It was as if a fight wasn't happening. Ino, Shikamaru, and Chouji stood in front of Sakura. They didn't know why, because it was painfully obvious the Sound Genin were stronger and much more intimidating. It took all of Ino's strength to not just fall on her knees and "hide" and Chouji had to be held on by Shikamaru to not run away.

Sakura was still on her knees, blood dripping from her head and down her face. She was obviously confused by everything, but she felt the whole world fall off her when looking at the trio. And when she saw Jalen was still alive, no amount of happiness could explain what Sakura felt. Jalen was still giving Zaku a hard look, but he kept on shifting his gaze over to Ino for a couple of seconds before looking back at the enemy. A light tint would always fall on his face for a couple of seconds, as if he was daydreaming or something. The sad thing was... He _was_.

"Ino," Sakura started. "Why are you here?" She asked. Her right eye was half closed due to being punched so much and so hard.

"I'm not going to let you take all the good parts in front of Sasuke-kun," Ino replied, smirking.

_He's unconscious! At least have a good excuse! _Jalen thought, sweatdropping.

"They just keep swarming in..." Dosu droned, his eyes freakily wide. "Konoha's bugs have wondered here, _again_."

Chouji gasped, looking over at his two teammates in absolute disbelief. "What are you two thinking?! These guys are too dangerous!"

_My Shadow Replication has one of them captured already! It's five against two now! Why are you so worried?! _Jalen thought with a nervous smirk of disbelief.

"It's troublesome, but we have to do this," Shikamaru replied. "Since Ino revealed herself, we men can't run away!"

_That's the only reason?! _Jalen again...

Ino chuckled, "Sorry to get you two involved, but we're a three man team. We do everything together."

Shikamaru smirked, a bead of sweat rolling down his cheek. "Oh, well. Whatever happens, happens."

"No!" Chouji screamed. "I don't want to die yet!" He tried to crawl away, but Shikamaru had him held tight. "Let go of my muffler!"

"Shut up! Stop moving!" Shikamaru yelled, exasperated.

_**This**__ is the team I admired so much back in the real world?! _Jalen sighed. _I should stop, I'm starting to become the straight man of this anime..._

Zaku laughed, the bored look on his face from looking at the trio was replaced with a smirk. Sakura's blood was on his face and forehead protector, giving him a terrifying look. "You can run if you want," he said. "**Fatty.**"

Silence was imminent.

"Oh, _heeell naaaw!_" Jalen yelled, breaking the silence. He waggled his finger, putting a hand on his hip and striking a pose. "I know you not gonna take that, Chouji!"

Ino and Shikamaru gave the red head a weird look. But it didn't last long, because they instantly looked back at Chouji, worry apparent on their faces.

"What did that person just say?" Chouji asked, his ear wiggling as if the word irritated it. "I didn't hear him too well..."

"Eh?" Zaku tilted his head.

_Oh, no... That word is taboo to Chouji_. Shikamaru thought, fearing for the worst. _If he says it again..._

"I said that you can go jack off in the woods if you want," Zaku yelled, scowling. "**You fat ass!**"

"I thought this was a kid's show..."

The words echoed in Chouji's mind, his fist clenching. His whole body radiated with anger, and a bead of sweat dropped from his trembling head. He turned around in a blind fury and yelled, "**I'M NOT FAT! I'M BIG-BONED! HUUUUUUUUURRRRRRAAAAAAAA!**" He spun around, striking a pose as he looked in the air. "Hurray for big-boned people!"

_W-Wow. _Sakura sweatdropped.

_So much chakra being used just for an outburst. _Jalen sweatdropped. _In real life, team ten is a little uncool... Ino aside, of course. _

"Okay! You two understand that this is a fight between Konoha and Sound, right?!" Chouji exclaimed, now burning with fighting passion.

_Lucky~ He got pissed! _Ino cheered in her mind.

"Geez, this is going to be troublesome," Shikamaru sighed.

"That's our line," Zaku said in a calm tone, but inside he was fuming. _Damn it, we were told to kill Sasuke before the exam ended. _

Sasuke winced, dark chakra still seeping out of him. Jalen noticed, and it was chilling to concentrate on it. Sakura noticed Sasuke wincing, but was oblivious to the chakra. She muttered his name, but was tuned out of her thoughts by Ino.

"Sakura," Ino started. "Take care of the two back there," she ordered. Sakura just stared at her rival, before nodding. "The Ino team is going to go with everything they have!"

"With Jalen added!" Jalen exclaimed, jumping beside Shikamaru. Ino just nodded.

"Formation! Ino!"

"Shika!"

"Chou!"

"Ja!"

...

"Wait wait, wait! Hold on!" Ino yelled, glaring at Jalen who looked away sheepishly. "You can't just butt into our formation! It's made for only Shikamaru, Chouji, and I!"

"But, come on..." Jalen mumbled. "I'm going to be bored just watching you all fight. Anyway," he smirked, a dangerous glare aimed at Zaku, who scowled back. "**I'm a man on a mission...**"

"That excuse won't work!" Ino yelled, punching at Jalen. Jalen dodged all the punches, giving Ino a terrified look.

"Just let him join, Ino. He's helping more than hurting," Shikamaru said, annoyed by his teammate's stubbornness.

"Fine," she sighed. Jalen cheered, crocodile tears running down his face. "Again! Formation! Ino!"

"Shika!"

"Chou!"

"Ja!"

Chouji stomped on the ground, stepping up a bit.

"Go for it, Chouji!" Ino cheered.

"Okay!" He exclaimed. He did a single hand seal, yelling, "Double Weight Technique!" He grew in size. His belly was so big now that he couldn't put his hands together. "And Konoha style hand to hand combat... Hng!" His arms were sucked into his sleeves. A gust of chakra poured out. "Hng!" His legs were sucked in, chakra also coming out of them. "Hng!"

His head shot into his body, and the chakra bounced him into the air. "Meat Tank!" His body resembled a big ball now, and he started spinning in the air.

_I've been in this world for a few months now, _Jalen started, gaping. _But nothing will be able to erase this horrific moment from my mind. _

Chouji, the deadly spinning ball, fell to the ground and charged at Zaku. "What the hell is this?!" He exclaimed, but his signature bastardly smirk was still on his face. "It's just a fat ass rolling!" He brought his hands up and aimed at Chouji. "Air Cutter!" A strong blast of wind shot out of Zaku's hands, hitting Chouji and stopping Chouji from rolling over him. Everyone stared wide eyed at the scene. It lasted for ten seconds, before Zaku started feeling a tug on his chakra. "Why you..!" He added a stronger blast of wind, the wind so strong you could see it!

Chouji had to roll a whole lot faster to not be blown away, but he was feeling a sting on his chakra as well. They stayed like that for a while. Zaku blasting air. Chouji rolling like crazy. Everyone staring.

Eventually, Chouji did the unspeakable. He jumped. I don't know how. I'm just a lowly paid narrator. But he jumped in the air, making Zaku gasp.

_It flew up! _Zaku stared up at the ball about to fall and crush him. He needed to think fast. _With his rotation, the air pressure from the Air Cutter doesn't work very well. But even if I wanted to send supersonic waves into him, my arms would break touching that thing..! _His face was twitching now... Would this be his end? It was inevitable.

Dosu knew his team sucked, but he didn't think they'd lose so easily! He charged for Zaku, his arm out in it's signature position. Kin was dead to him now; she shouldn't have gotten captured so easily. But he could save Zaku now. It would be simple.

_I won't let you! _Shikamaru did a single hand seal. _Since you're the most troublesome one... _He released the chakra, a line of his shadow leaving his own and heading for Dosu. _Shadow Imitation Technique! _

The shadow quickly connected with Dosu's. Dosu suddenly stopped moving, only having the strength to weakly turn his head and glare at Shikamaru. He was immobilized!

"My body..." Dosu mumbled. Shikamaru smirked, a sound of success leaving his mouth.

Chouji was just now smashing into the ground, Zaku jumping back and avoiding at the last minute. Shikamaru, on the other hand, had Dosu doing wierd poses you would never see him doing. It would have been good blackmail. If he wasn't evil.

Kin had the sudden urge to yell at Dosu, but Jalen simply pressed down harder on her throat. As if he knew she was about to yell. Well, he did! She would never know that_, _though. Kin gave Jalen an annoyed look, while the latter sneered.

_This must be the Shadow Bind Technique._ Dosu thought as Shikamaru made him do another embarrassing pose. Jalen stifled laughter.

"Okay, Ino-chan! My turn!" Jalen said, doing the clone seal. He turned to look at Shikamaru. "Make sure you don't let Dosu go, Shikamaru. Just in case it takes a while to catch Zaku," he then turned to look at the glaring girl being pinned to the ground. "And just because I'm about to fight, don't think you have a chance to escape; you don't. Any unnecessary moves and my replication won't hesitate to slit your throat."

"Kiss my ass," Kin replied. The replication on top of her grinned.

"Shadow Replication," Jalen droned, and two more of him poofed right beside him. _I'll finally show Ino my fighting skills... She'll be so impressed! And then... And then she'll be so infatuated of me but accidentally fall on top of me... And... And then..._

_**Mouth. **_

_**To. **_

_**Mouth. **_

"Gah!" Jalen fell to the ground from the sudden nosebleed, a crimson puddle forming around his twitching body. The group just stared at him, before turning away and tearing him from their mind.

···

"Uh, our _friend_ here will be back in commission soon," Jalen's replications said at the same time. "We'll be the ones fighting. Please watch."

_Why does his replications act so much more civil than him? _Everyone thought with a tilt of their head.

Jalen number 2 charged at Zaku while Jalen number 3 charged at the immobilized Dosu. Jalen 2 slid out a kunai and slashed at Zaku, who jumped back to dodge. Chouji then landed on top of Jalen number 2... Ending his career. As soon as Jalen number 3 got close enough to Dosu, Dosu let loose his ear splitting sound. Jalen number 3 died a slow and painful death, his ears bleeding and his brain exploding before he poofed away.

...

The memories of being killed shocked Jalen awake, a terrified expression on his face. After a while, he sighed. "Must have been a bad dream," he said.

"IT WASN'T A BAD DREAM, YOU IDIOT!" Sakura and Ino both yelled.

"So... They killed my replications," he looked dazed. "Th-Then... But, I also saw..." He slowly looked over to Kin, who was blankly staring at him. Everyone followed his gaze and gasped. There was nothing wrong with Kin staring at him... The wrong thing is that she was nonchalantly standing up. Jalen's replication was nowhere to be seen.

...

"The shock of remembering his replication's death must have made him accidentally dispel that one," Shikamaru stated.

"An accident, huh."

"An accident."

...

"... Well, at least Chouji is still-"

The sentence wasn't finished. They all looked over at the stumbling Chouji. He was dizzy from spinning too much, but that wasn't the reason he stopped the technique. He thought he hit his mark when he hit Jalen's replication, and he was running out of chakra anyway.

"...W-Well, at least Shikamaru's Shadow Imitation-"

That sentence wasn't finished either, because Shikamaru's shadow was thinning. It eventually cut itself away from Dosu's shadow, Shikamaru sucking his teeth. "I hate it when it does that!"

"Oh?" Dosu said in a condescending way. "I see that your Shadow Bind Technique can only be used for five minutes at most."

_Has it really been that long? _Jalen thought with a frown. _Time goes by when you're fighting..._

"It's not Shadow Bind, it's Shadow Imitation," Shikamaru shouted. "Get your techniques right."

"Although, I'm still wondering how that one survived the earlier explosion," Kin said. "Explain yourself!"

"Of course," Jalen nodded in a sage-like manner. "I'm sure the readers have been biting their nails wondering now the mystical and all powerful Jalen survived! Let me enlighten you!"

⊙⊙_~~How The Mystical And All Powerful Jalen Survived~~⊙⊙ _

Remember when Jalen and Sakura stayed their first night alone? Jalen told Sakura to sleep because he had a Shadow Replication watching out for enemys. Remember that? Go read if you want to make sure, I don't care. Anyway, during the night, he switched places with his clone. Just in case something unexpected happened. And it did! He had no idea that Kin knew such a move!

Anyway, after watching Sakura and Lee cry - watching Lee practically take advantage of his "death" and cuddle with Sakura disgusted him - and after Lee and Sakura both got their asses wooped, that's when he decided to show himself. He needed to make a note to kick Lee in the butt, though...

And wasn't it odd that no blood was in the crater? That should have been a dead giveaway. Uh-huh!

⊙⊙_~~How The Mystical And All Powerful Jalen Survived: Complete!~~⊙⊙ _

"It was as simple as that," Jalen said, and with that he laughed. Everyone sweatdropped, before getting back to the fight.

"That was pretty smart," Dosu droned. "But, your luck has run out. All of us are more or less uninjured, while only two of you are suitable for combat," he was talking about Ino and Jalen.

_Actually, I've used up all of my chakra, too. _Jalen thought with a sly grin. _I've really screwed up... _

"Mind Transfer Technique!" Ino yelled. She needed the advantage of surprise, and this was the best time. She had her hands in the correct hand seal, and she was looking at Kin. That's who she would go inside of... She already had a plan formed in her mind!

Kin was too confused to avoid the attack, so before she knew it, she was blacking out. In reality, though, Ino was entering her body. Ino's real body fell in Shikamaru's arms. Kin, or Ino, looked up, placing a kunai to her own neck.

"Kin?! What's wrong?! What are you doing?!" Zaku yelled, but Kin just answered with a sneer.

"Drop the scroll and leave. When I can't sense your chakra I'll release her. If you don't comply I'll slit her throat," Kin said, placing the kunai closer to her throat. She knew that she couldn't really kill the girl, cause then she'd die herself. Hopefully, they won't catch her bluff.

Zaku just leisurely aimed up and shot at Kin. Kin screamed and got blown back to hit the tree behind her. A trail of blood flowed down both her and Ino's mouth, making everyone gasp.

"You bastard! I'll kill you!" Jalen screamed, throwing an explosive kunai at Zaku. He just side stepped, and the kunai sailed past him. Somewhere... Somewhere a squirrel was killed.

"You... You would kill your own teammate?" Kin asked, coughing up more blood.

"It seems you have the ability to slip your soul into someone else's body. So, if we kill her, you'd die," Dosu analysised. "So... You're right. We would kill our own teammate."

There was a moment of silence. Everyone looking at the Sound Genin in an uneasy manner, while they all sneered back at them. They tried, at least. It was all for naught, though.

"This is over," Shikamaru whined, looking up in defeat.

"Damn it," Chouji cursed. Jalen just thought over everything. He couldn't make any more replications... Wait! Wasn't Neji and Tenten supposed to come soon? Maybe he could stall...

"Close, you almost had us," Zaku said.

"You let your guard down," Dosu criticized.

_We're screwed! _Jalen screamed in his mind.

"Hn, how disgusting."

Surprise. That was the first thing everyone felt when they looked up and saw Hyuuga Neji and Tenten looking down at them from a tree branch. Surprise was what they all felt, but their emotions grew diverse as the seconds ticked down. The Sound Genin felt outraged that more Konoha bugs were here. Team 10 felt a little scared because they tried to trick Neji earlier for his scroll. Keyword: Tried. Sakura was more relieved that more people were here to help. And Jalen was a little freaked out at how Tenten was staring at him.

"A mere minor Sound ninja," Neji continued. "Acting like victors by beating those second-class ninja?"

_That's a little harsh, don'tcha think? _Jalen thought, sheepishly smiling as he scratched his cheek.

"They're from Lee-san's team," Sakura mumbled. Speaking of Lee... He was still unconscious, laying on the ground.

"Lee!" Tenten exclaimed, taking her eyes off the red head to look at Lee's unconscious body.

"Looks like he screwed up," Neji said cooly, crossing his arms.

"You guys just keep coming out like roaches," Zaku exclaimed. Jalen shivered at the word. Roaches...

"That bobbed haired kid there is on our team," Neji told them. Immediately, he activated his Byakugan, giving him an intimidating look. "**Looks like you went overboard with him!**" Team 10 widened their eyes at Neji's scary look. Even the Sound Genin gasped.

_What is with his eyes?! _Dosu asked himself. _It looks like he's able to see everything with them..._

"If you're going to continue to fight, we're going to fight with everything we have," Neji threatened. Suddenly, Jalen felt a huge shiver down his spine. It wasn't from Neji's threat, no... It was from the _very_ evil chakra seeping out of Sasuke's black mark on his neck.

"What is it, Neji?" Tenten asked. Neji felt the chakra, too... But he wasn't as disturbed as Jalen. He was more wary.

"If you don't like what we're doing, stop showing off and come down here," Dosu taunted.

"There's no need for him to do that," Jalen said innocently, making Dosu snap his head to stare at Jalen. "Sasuke's going to destroy you all anyway," he added. Zaku sneered.

"If this Sasuke guy could do someth-"

The words got caught in his throat. He must have finally sensed the chakra, or saw it. Jalen didn't know, because he thought he was the only one able to see it. Little did he know, the chakra became so strong that everyone was able to see the purple energy coming from the boy's body. Everyone was staring. No one knew what to do. No one, minus Jalen, even knew what was happening!

Sakura didn't know why everyone was staring at her, but her mind brought the pieces together when she heard movement behind her. Her face brightened up as she turned around and saw Sasuke standing up!

"Sasuke-kun! You woke up..?"

She gasped. Her face turned from happiness to a frightened, confused expression. Sakura knew why they were staring now... And looking back, she could see the hint of "scary..." on their faces.

Sasuke slowly got on his knees. His bangs were in his face, covering whatever expression he would have on. The purple chakra was blasting from his body at this point. It looked like a type of twister surrounding him. Sakura fell on her butt from the sudden exposure to the chakra. She didn't get back up. She **couldn't! **

Sasuke was standing up now, his arms hanging from his body like Dosu's. Shikamaru, Ino, and Chouji flinched at the sight. They started trembling.

"That's... Sasuke-kun?" Ino asked no one in particular.

Sasuke was fully up now. Red marks were surrounding his body... And every step he planted to the ground created another typhoon of dark chakra. Jalen was slightly okay with seeing this, since he knew that was Sasuke and that he wouldn't hurt him. But... He would keep his distance. The mere thought of that evil chakra touching him sent shivers down his spine.

"Sakura," Sasuke started, glowering over the pink haired girl. The typhoon of chakra was diminishing, so you could see the glare he sported. You could also see the Sharingan that was unconsciously activated. The red marks turned black, so they were all over his body like tattoos. "Who did that to you..?"

If Jalen held up a sign and screamed in a megaphone the culprit... It would only be half of what he was doing.

"SASUKE! OH, DEAR LORD, SASUKE! YOU WON'T BELIEVE THE STORY I'M FINNA TELL YOU!" He screamed, nonchalantly looking over at Zaku. "THIS GUY, ZAKU! OH, MY... ZAKU! HE TORTUED SAKURA! HE JUST KEPT BANGING HIS FIST IN HER HEAD! LIKE A MANIAC! SEE THE BLOOD ON HIS FACE?! THAT'S SAKURA'S! I WOULD HAVE HELPED, BUT I HAD TO FIGHT THE OTHER TWO FREAKS AND IT WAS JUST SO HARD WITOUT YOU! AND THEY KEPT ON SAYING THEY WERE ONLY HERE TO KILL YOU AND WE FOUGHT SO HARD TO PROTECT YOU! AND IT WAS JUST UNBEARABLE! OH, MY... I WAS EVEN BLOWN UP IN THE START! AND THEN EVERYONE ELSE CAME AND SAVED US! BUT HE WAS JUST WORRIED ON SAKURA, I THOUGHT HE WAS GONNA RAPE HER AT TIMES, BECAUSE HE EVEN CHEWED OFF HER HAIR! HER HAAAIR! AAAAHHHH!"

He fell to the ground and started fake crying. It didn't help that Sakura had more cuts and bruises on her, even though in his story he had to fight two people while she had to fight one. But, no one ever notices this stuff. So it's whatever.

"Sasuke-kun... Your body..."

"**IGNORED?!**" And with that, Jalen sulked in a corner. No one ever takes him seriously... Even though half of that story was untrue.

"Don't worry. More importantly, I can feel power surging inside me," he said, clutching his fist. "I'm feeling good right now. _He_ gave it to me... I finally understand, now. I'm an avenger. I must obtain power no matter what, even if I must let the devil take hold of my body."

_...I see... Just as I thought... _Dosu's eyes widened. _The bruise on his neck that the Sakura girl was talking about was that cursed seal. Still, I can't believe he woke up!_

"Sakura, **say it!**" Sasuke demanded. "**Who the hell hurt you?!**"

"It was that guy! Him, Sasuke! That bastard right there!" Jalen exclaimed, sliding next to Sakura and Sasuke. He was pointing at the snarling Zaku.

"**I need to hear it from Sakura,**" Sasuke said, making Jalen look down in defeat.

_He really cares nothing for me... _Jalen sighed.

"You should listen to him!" Zaku yelled, now smirking. "I _the hell_ hurt her!"

Sasuke didn't even turn his head. His **eyes** turned to look at Zaku, the latter smugly smirking.

_~Back To Jalen's P.O.V~_

Ah~ finally. I haven't had a chance to be the star for a while now. I was getting kinda worried the author forgot all about me! But, I guess I'll tell you all my awesome plan before Sasuke kicks Zaku's ass.

My plan to at least killing one of them is... You'll see when it happens! Hahaha! Don't you just _love_ secrets?

Oh? Shikamaru, Ino, and Chouji ran in the bushes. I guess they don't want to get involved... Ah, Ino... Anyway, Sasuke was letting loose the chakra. It was like he was exerting the evil chakra at will! But, it's probably just from his anger. And it is directed at Zaku right now. Great.

Dosu is probably pissing his pants right now. He's literally trembling a hole in the ground! It's pretty sad when you look at him. The big bad boss is scared, isn't he? It's laughable!

Zaku was unfortunately not scared. He was pissed. He brought his arms up and aimed at us, and I could sense the amount of chakra he was about to put into this attack. I don't think my luck will prevent me from getting hurt... Not this time.

"Dosu! Don't be afraid of this half dead guy!" Zaku yelled.

"No, stop, Zaku! Don't you understand?!" Dosu yelled back. Aren't you the leader? Control your pathetic team. And, as usual, Kin was quiet. Oh, she's unconscious. Go, Ino!

"**I'll kill them all with this!**"

I need to move fast. He's putting too much chakra into this..!

"**I'll finish this in a flash!**"

You know, I'll never understand bad guys. If they have such a powerful move under their sleeve, why don't they use it first? It's stupid. And then when you announce that you're going to use the move... You're practically beggin' us to dodge it and kill you.

"**MAXIMUM AIR CUTTER!**"

Nonetheless, I managed to grab Naruto off the ground and jump away in time. Heh, I bet you thought I forgot about him. I didn't. I just didn't think Sakura or Sasuke would have grabbed him. So, of course, I'm the only one thinking of Naruto.

He blasted a giant wave of air at us. That sentence itself is an understatement, though. The air was so loud that my ears started to hurt. Even though I managed to avoid it, I still felt a little sting on my arm. It was accompanied by the usual bleeding cuts.

Wow... So imagine if I got hit with that. I would have been torn to pieces. Naruto would have too!

...

Oh, God I forgot about Sakura! I know Sasuke should have be able to avoid it... But Sakura...

I landed on the ground and turned to where he aimed at. There was a long indent in the ground and smoke was coming from it. Sakura and Sasuke was nowhere to be seen. But, I could still sense them! The strange thing is... I sense them right behind me. I turned around and, sure enough, Sasuke and Sakura were right there. Sasuke looked like he regularly does, but Sakura was kind of dazed. Sasuke must have grabbed her like how I grabbed Naruto.

Zaku didn't see that we moved, because he was staring at the spot we were in just moments ago with a big smug smirk on his face. "Heh. They blew up into pieces," he said.

"**Who did?**" Sasuke asked. As soon as the sentence left his mouth, he was right beside Zaku. He moved so fast that I didn't even see it! Zaku didn't even have time to fully turn around before Sasuke painfully elbowed him in the face! Zaku flew back and rolled and skidded on the ground in front of Dosu. Like a ragdoll!

"Zaku!" Dosu yelled, surprised. Zaku got on his hands and knees and began to cough. All Sasuke had to do was turn to glare at them, and they instantly stiffened up. Wait... What about Kin? Oh, yeah... Unconscious! Go Ino!

Sasuke immediately started a series of hand seals and brought his hand to his mouth. "**Fire Element: Pheonix Fire!"** He spit out 3 fireballs shaped as dragons at Zaku and Dosu.

"Don't get cocky!" Zaku yelled, charging up more chakra. "**I'll erase it!**" He screamed. He aimed his hands at the five balls and blasted more wind at them. "What?!" The fire was blown away, but shuriken was hidden in the fire, charging at him. "There are shurikens in the fire! Augh!" He was mauled and cut up by the multiple shuriken tearing through his skin. That must hurt...

"Zaku! Below you!" Dosu warned. Zaku widened his eyes and looked down to see Sasuke sliding in front of him. He slid behind the other boy and grabbed both his arms, putting his foot on his back. It's time for the dramatic conclusion.

Then again... Seeing the sadistic smirk on his face... And the terrified look on everyone else's face...

"Go, Sasuke! Break his arms! Rip him to shreds!" I cheered. What? After all that bastard did... I'm not gonna have mercy for him.

"**You seem to be proud of your arms,**" Sasuke said in a drunk-like manner. Zaku just had a surprised and useless look on his face. Dosu just stared, terrified. Chouji was turned around, his hands on his ears and his eyes probably shut close. Shikamaru and Ino were still looking, a terrified look on their faces as well.

"S-Stop it," Zaku pleaded, looking back at Sasuke. Sasuke's smirk grew. He pulled Zaku's arms back further... And further... And f-futher..!

"_**AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH HHHHH!**_"

Sasuke _**tore**_ Zaku's arms out of it's socket! Shoulders shouldn't bend back that way... I don't think...

Zaku cringed and winced and thrashed on the ground, tears running down his eyes. It almost makes me feel sad for him. Almost. And I'm a man on a mission.

"_**AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH HHHHH!**_"

"Shuddup," I monotoned, slipping out an explosive kunai. He didn't even acknowledge me as I walked over to him. He was too busy screaming and thrashing. I'm sure Sasuke must have broken a bone...

...

That was dumb. Of course he broke a bone. He broke his arms!

"J-Jalen?!" Sakura choked out, standing up. I just brought a hand back, telling her to stay there. I'm not letting her stop Sasuke. Not yet, at least.

"**What are you doing, Jalen?**" Sasuke asked me. I gave him a reassuring smile, just in case he starts to get _really_ evil.

"You could say," I started, bending down in front of the crying Zaku. "I'm finishing your job. Thanks for gettimg him like this, though. Can you do the same to that guy over there?" I asked, nonchalantly pointing over to Dosu.

"**He **_**is**_** the only one left,**" Sasuke mused, looking at the shivering Dosu.

"No, stop!" Dosu pleaded, going into his sleeve and taking out a scroll. The Scroll of Earth. "I'll give you this scroll if you spare our lives." Really? Do you think I'd just stop my whole goal in life for a stupid scroll?

"Throw the scroll to Sakura and we'll let you all go," I said. He furiously nodded, tossing the scroll over to Sakura. Wow... Idiot. Now I can kill without worrying about the consequences. "Go get 'em, Sasuke," I ordered, spinning the kunai in my hand and looking down at the pleading Zaku. He's pleading for his life after he threatened ours time and time again?

Everything got silent. Sasuke charged at Dosu, but that's all I saw before I ignored everyone. Zaku's crying and screaming and pleading was the only thing I heard. I... I don't have to kill him... I could just leave him like he is...

...No. I... I need to do this! They're evil! I need to!

_**I shut my eyes and stabbed furiously in Zaku's back. He screamed in pain, and I felt his body tense up. I jumped back before the kunai could explode, but it exploded earlier than expected. Blood and th-things showered me. It was like it was raining! Some got in my mouth and some got in my nose. I screamed. I screamed as loud as I could. I could still hear Zaku screaming... Before his screaming died down... And so did his life. **_

_**I wasn't the only one screaming. Sakura was, and I heard Ino screaming as well. Everything was red. I was seeing red! I couldn't take anymore... I blacked out. **_

_**...**_

_**I'm so... Disturbed. **_

_**Oh, and everyone... I'm... I'M MAKING A REMAKE OF THIS STORY! When I look back at this story I just cringe at how poorly written it is. And I would just do edits, but making a new story will let me just do more. It's actually going to be a lot changes to the plot and everything... And the first 3 chapters are up already, so I'll just let you all go and read that if you want. **_

_**I'm going to keep this story up just in case you want to read this and the new one and note the differences and such. I really apologize for everyone who loved this and don't want me to stop... But the new one will be much better, I promise! And it won't just be a regular canon fic... It'll have a lot of major differences from this story! And it'll have it's own unique plots. **_

_**The story will be called Grey Eyes. **_

_**And... I just want to apologize again... **_

_**So... You know... Bye? **_

_***Cry***_

_**Oh, and I usually don't do this... BUT SHOUT OUT TO A RANDOM GUEST FOR GIVING ME SUCH GREAT IDEA'S FOR JALEN'S CHARACTER! I really want to thank you for those, because I didn't think of that at all... I'M DEFINITELY USING THOSE FOR THE JALEN IN GREY EYES! THANK YOU SO MUCH RANDOM ANONYMOUS PERSON! **_

_**...**_

_**Well... At least I know their are good people hidden in many ways. :P**_

_**I guess this is Bye Nii... For the last time...**_

_**Unless you read the remake, Grey Eyes. I advise you do. I'm not gonna make you... I'm gonna be professional...**_

_**...**_

_**PLEASE READ IT! I LOVE ALL OF YOU SO MUCH! I'LL DIE IF YOU PEOPLE DON'T READ!**_

_**...**_

_**Wow, I'm pretty derpy right now... I should stop before this gets embarrasing...**_


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